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The council wants to install electric vehicle (EV) charging points in several streets, including The Drive, The Avenue, Salisbury Road and Union Street, as part of a drive to slash carbon emissions and make the borough net zero by 2042.
It has appointed energy company Trojan Energy to carry out the work, which is expected to take place later this year.
Information sent to residents indicate ten charging points will be installed in The Drive, including six that would be designated ‘pay by phone’ as well as permit parking. Although some residents have welcomed the plans, others have raised concerns that their parking could be reduced as people from outside the area come to charge their cars – and extra vehicles on the streets could pose a risk to schoolchildren and the elderly.
One local resident of The Drive said: “A lot of people are feeling very uneasy and fear traffic will increase, and [are concerned about] being able to park in the road, and just generally the lack of transparency [about the plans].
“I don’t understand why they are not looking at doing it in a more public place like a car park.”
Although the bays would not be designated ‘EV only’ – meaning residents with petrol vehicles would be able to park there – the resident said people from other streets could use the bays.
They added: “EV hubs will be a magnet for people who want to charge their cars. There are lots of schoolchildren in our road, and there is a school around the corner. It would change the dynamic of the road.”
The council has sent notices to residents informing them of the plans. But the resident said these provided little detail, and some neighbours had not received them. She also said residents had only had the bare minimum consultation, and she felt the plans were being “pushed ahead”.
Some residents are wondering how having a charging hub in their road would affect their home insurance policies, as several of…
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