INSTALLING 150 electric car charging points across Lancashire will begin early in the New Year.

County council transport boss Cllr Keith Iddon confirmed the date yesterday.

Fifty of the new charging points will be located in Burnley, Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Pendle and Rossendale and in operation by the summer.

The county council has recently awarded a contract to Chargemaster to install the 150 points across the county’s 12 boroughs using a £14.8million grant from the Department for Transport.

Cllr Iddon, said: “The scheme aims to increase take-up of electric vehicles by ensuring owners can always find somewhere to recharge on local journeys. We expect the charging points will begin being installed in the New Year.”

Blackburn with Darwen Council is currently working up plans for charging points initially two in each town centre.