DON’T TURN OUR PARK INTO A SERVICE STATION
FEARS ‘HI-TECH HUB’ - WITH CAR-CHARGING POINTS, TOILETS AND DRINKS KIOSK - WILL RUIN GREEN SPACE AS TREES AXED
RESIDENTS fear a Bristol park will be turned into a “motorway service station” - if controversial plans to build an electric car charging hub on the land are given the go-ahead.
A planning application to expand and convert Eastville Park’s car park into a hi-tech “rapid electric vehicle charging hub” was submitted by Bristol City Council in July.
The plans - if approved - would see some trees and greenery removed as the car park is extended and four electric charging points are installed.
The development, which is funded by government money, also includes plans for a hot drinks kiosk and a coin-operated toilet block - much to the delight of some residents.
But the loss of up to five trees, which will need to go in order to make way for the additional parking spaces and charging points, has angered others.
“This ‘hub’ is more in keeping with an NCP car park or motorway service station,” one resident said.
“The ‘kiosk’ looks like a bunker and the pay toilets seem to be some kind of container.
“Five beautiful trees are to be cut down, a grassy rise will be concreted over for an electrical transformer with a 2.4 metre security fence - complete with CCTV and floodlights.”
In its application, Bristol City Council said one of the main reasons Eastville Park was chosen as the location for the charging hub was because of its proximity to the M32.
“Each authority is to deliver a rapid charging hub by the end of 2019, which for state aid reasons ideally has to be on local authority land,” the applicant statement said.
“The Eastville site was one of
❝ This ‘hub’ is more in keeping with an NCP car park or motorway service station
several site assessed and was chosen due to its proximity to the M32, main A roads and other factors.”
But residents fear the development will lead to an uncontrollable influx of electric vehi- cles, which would clog up nearby roads and increase congestion along Fishponds Road.
“If the hub is successful, the road will be jammed,” another unnamed resident said.
“How are residents, especially those who are older, supposed to get their own cars out?
“It’s a cul-de-sac. Traffic could become gridlocked in Fishponds Road.”
Almost 30 public comments have so far been submitted in response to the proposals - of which 19 object, four support and three are neutral.
Bristol City Council - together with South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset and North Somerset - were successful in a government bid to the Office for Low Emission Vehicles in 2016.
A total of £7.1million was subsequently granted, with the aim to accelerate the purchase of electric vehicles across all four regions.
To view the charging hub proposals in full, or to comment, visit the relevant page on the Bristol City Council planning website.
Resident’s objection