A solar-powered car charging system has been approved for the Plottingham Fields car park at West Allington.

It will see a 19 by five metre canopy built with solar panels over six parking spaces with another seven solar panels fitted to an adjacent garage owned by Bridport Town Council.

The site is to the south of the West Rivers House building and was previously an informal car park for up to 19 vehicles, but has since been converted to a 30-space pay and display car park with a separate area for motorcycles and bicycles.

The town council application said that the solar panels on the garage roof should be enough to power the floodlights to the adjacent tennis courts with the panels on the canopy solely for electric vehicle recycling.

The batteries and inverters for the scheme will be contained within the columns of the car port using a locally made system.