QUESTIONS are being asked about the money spent on electric car charging points, after it emerged one in the district has never been used.

Three free-to-use public charging points have so far been installed across the district, at a total cost to the taxpayer of £31,570.

But it has been revealed that the charging station in Baildon, installed three months ago, has not yet been used, while Keighley's facility has only been used three times.

Three-quarters of the installation costs were met by a Government grant, with the remainder paid by local public bodies.

And the number of electric vehicles registered in the district now stands at only 35.

The new figures were revealed by Bradford Council in response to questions asked by Councillor Andrew Mallinson (Con, Craven).

He said the figures were "quite alarming".

He said: "It's a bit of a dilemma. If you don't put the electric points in, people don't buy the cars - it's 'chicken and egg' in a lot of ways.

"But it is quite alarming to see that public resources have been used to put in something that in Baildon's case has never been used. That's quite shocking."

Cllr Mallinson said while he was all in favour of electric cars, he wondered whether this was the best use of public money, and suggested it could instead be left to businesses to install the facilities.

And he said urged the Council to find out whether the problem was a lack of marketing or simply that there were not enough electric cars on the roads yet.

But Baildon Town Council, which part-funded Baildon's facility, said an IT glitch meant the charging point had only been in operation for a matter of weeks so far.

Town Council deputy chairman, Councillor Joe Ashton, said it had been operational since March 7, and said he was "fairly hopeful" it would be end up being well-used in the long run.

He said: "It's a bit of a Marmite issue. There was a bit of a fuss at first but it seems to have died down.

"People say there are hardly any vehicles but on the other hand, there won't be if you don't put the infrastructure in for them."

The charge point in central Bradford, at the Council's Jacobs Well office, has fared better and has so far been used 116 times, according to the Council figures.

It was installed last March at a cost of £12,400.

Councillor Val Slater, executive member for transport at Bradford Council, said the charging points were not just being installed in the Bradford district but in other areas across West Yorkshire as well.

She said: "It's part of the work that has been looking at high emissions and trying to cut these down, which is a real issue for us in Bradford."