A fee for charging electric cars in the Scottish Borders is set to be introduced

Councillor Gordon Edgar, the council’s executive member for infrastructure, travel and transport, revealed the move at a recent meeting of the full council.

He said: “A condition of earlier Transport Scotland grant funding for electric vehicle charging points were that they were free to encourage the uptake of electric vehicles. This condition has now been removed and SBC like other local authorities is to consider introducing a charging regime.

"In 2020 the cost to the council was £33,296. A report is being prepared and will recommend that the council should introduce a charging regime going forward. It is anticipated that it may be possible to have a proposal before the council for the 27th of January council meeting.”

Hawick councillor Davie Paterson, who posed a question on the matter, welcomed the news, saying: “While welcoming all moves encourage car drivers to move away from the use of fossil fuel and increasing the use of any fuel that does not in any way harm the environment, when this administration are having to make yet more cuts to balance the books why are they still allowing the free use for electrical vehicle charging?”