Plans to build a rental centre for electric vehicles at the Fairmont Southampton have been given the go-ahead by the Development Applications Board.

West End Properties was given planning permission to build the facility this month.

The new facility is expected to be operated by Current Vehicles, which runs a similar rental operation out of the Hamilton Princess Hotel & Beach Club.

The development will include a new 8ft chain-link fence, shipping containers for storage and an external charging station. There will also be new lighting and a CCTV system.

Minutes of the DAB’s meeting on August 16 show the board questioned how the location of the facility would impact the availability of overflow car parking at the hotel.

The minutes state: “The technical officer explained that the car rental facility will take up approximately 25 per cent of site coverage of the overflowparking, thus minimising the reduction in parking spaces.”

Under the terms of the planning permission work, has to begin within two years.

The DAB also stipulated that a maximum of four containers can be used for car storage and that the containers shall be “painted and designed to complement the area”.