King Charles plans major change to Royal residences – but proposal for Windsor Castle hits a snag
KING Charles is planning a major change to the Royal residences - but his proposal for Windsor Castle has hit a snag.
Applications to install charging points in the grounds have been submitted as the Monarch continues to use EVs while carrying out his duties.
Charles last year bought a flashy £80k electric Audi Q8 before being pictured driving it to a Sunday service at Balmoral in the summer.
He also snapped up a £60k Jaguar I-Pace in 2018 and borrowed a Tesla for a few months in 2021.
And his use of electric cars has now resulted in him wanting charging points at one of his residences.
However, plans to transform the 950-year-old estate could be halted.
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Experts have warned that the scheme could affect archaeological remains - resulting in an investigation being called upon to assess the impact it would have, reports the Telegraph.
In planning consultation docs submitted to the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead council, archaeology officer Edwin Wood, said: “The application site falls within an area of archaeological significance and archaeological remains may be damaged by ground disturbance for the proposed development.
“The sites lie immediately adjacent to, and within the grounds of, Windsor Castle, a scheduled ancient monument.
“The area around the castle became the focus for settlement following the construction of the castle in the 11th century and the movement of the royal centre from Old Windsor following the Conquest of 1066.
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“As such there is the potential for archaeology relating to the early development and construction of the castle and town of Windsor to survive.”
Four charging points will be placed around the Royals' home area while the other two will be by the castle, state the plans.
The Royal household said of the plans: “This application is submitted to support the wider sustainability strategy and decarbonisation of the estate.
“No works are proposed to existing building fabric, all chargers are to be free‐standing and reversible to accommodate future technology developments in the field.”
The local council is yet to decided whether to approve the plans.
A decision is expected to be made after archaeological remains are assessed and recorded.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “Work is being undertaken to install electric vehicle charging points at official royal residences, to facilitate the use of electric and electric hybrid vehicles.
“The Royal household is always exploring options to reduce its impact on the environment.”
