Pole-mounted EV points to be examined
Wicklow County Council is to look at installing electric vehicle charging points into the poles of new LED street lights.
During a discussion of the Chief Executive’s Monthly Report for the month of October, Councillor Steven Matthews (Green) asked if the council had approached the ESB about the quantity of network faults across the county. The councillor suggested that the energy capacity increase required by the planned installation of new LED street lights could make it possible to install pole-mounted electric vehicle (EV) chargers. Cllr Matthews pointed to Greystones as an area in urgent need of vehicle charging points.
Cllr Jennifer Whitmore (SD) said that infrastructure needed to be put in place as soon as possible, particularly in areas such as Greystones and west Wicklow that do not currently have EV charging points.
Cllr Gail Dunne (FF) expressed his disappointment that a number of lights in Wicklow town had not yet been repaired.
Frank Curran, Wicklow County Council Chief Executive, said the county was around the national average of 2.5 per cent in terms of faults. Council staff were working with the contractors in relation to speeding up the repair process. He added that the rollout of LED street lights is expected to reduce the number of faults. Mr Curran also agreed that the council should look at pole-mounted car chargers.
Colm Lavery, Director of Transportation, Water and Emergency Services said that the focus was on areas where many lights were out and he urged members to inform the directorate of any faults. Mr Lavery added that the retrofitting of LED lights is expected to begin in 2020.