A NEW electric car charging service station and drive-thru coffee shop could be built next to a McDonald’s restaurant in Wrexham.

An application has been put forward to develop an area of land next to the fast food chain’s branch in Chirk.

The proposals include a large parking area for electric cars and a cafe where visitors can wait while their vehicle is being charged.

The greenfield site has been chosen due to its proximity to both the A5 and A483, with an existing access point off the Halton Roundabout.

There is currently only one other all-electric service station in the UK, which opened in Essex in December.

Agents acting on behalf of the applicant, named only as Mr A Woollam, said the new facility was needed to address a predicted increase in electric vehicle sales, with the UK Government planning to ban all new petrol and diesel cars from 2030.

In a planning statement, they said: “The country’s aim is to provide reliable and comprehensive network of charging stations to supply the growing number of electrical vehicle drivers.

“An electrical vehicle charging station differs from a regular gas station in a few keys ways.

“It takes longer to charge a car, so there needs to be space for more vehicles.

“Facilities also need to include a waiting lounge with wifi, washrooms and eateries, and it will be a key factor for the development to allow users of the charging facilities a place to continue working on their laptops and mobile devices.”

The closest electric vehicle charging point to the site is currently located six miles away in the village of Cefn Mawr, with another 10 miles away in Ellesmere.

Both facilities are said to only have a small number of charging points, with no cafe or work space for people to wait at.

The agents said it demonstrated the requirement for the service station.

They added: “It is anticipated the proposed development would provide a significant economic benefit to the surrounding area once operational through the creation of new jobs associated with the shop, as well as during the construction phase of the development.

“The economic benefits of the development are a material consideration of significant weight to overcome the location of the development within the open countryside.”

The local authority is expected to decide on the plans at a later date.