PLANS for an Aberystwyth pub and hotel to replace regular car parking spaces with electric vehicle charging points has been given the go-ahead by county council planners following a “significant growth in demand” and the council’s own ambition of achieving net zero.

The scheme will see 14 car parking spaces lost at The Starling Cloud on Boulevard St Brieuc and replaced with eight new electric vehicle charging spaces.

Planning documents said the “proposal will serve to increase footfall at both the pub itself and in the local area.”

“The proposal also represents a vital new piece of infrastructure for local residents, and for visitors,” documents added.

A council report said: “The provision of eight electric vehicle charging spaces in place of 14 existing parking spaces is considered to help the aim of making Ceredigion county more sustainable and will contribute towards the goal of achieving net zero.

“On balance it is considered that this would be a positive addition to the site and could service amenities in the immediate area such as Canolfan Rheidol to the east.”

The plans, which will also see an extra substation being placed on site to service the new charging points, were approved by council planning officers under delegated powers last week.