Call to install bays for electric cars rejected
But on-street chargepoint trial will be implemented in West Berks
A BID to install designated parking bays for electric vehicles in West Berkshire has been turned down.
Leader of the Green minority Carolyne Culver (Ridgeway) had called to designate all current and future electric vehicle charging points as ‘EV only’ parking spaces.
The council’s executive voted against the motion, but an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) will be implemented at a trial site where an on-street chargepoint has been more frequently used.
Furthermore, all chargepoints in West Berkshire Council public car parks would have their own designated and enforceable parking bay.
Executive member for highways Richard Somner (Con, Tilehurst South and Holybrook) said the response “struck the right balance between encouraging people to consider switching to electric cars, making provision for those who already have, and keeping sufficient parking spaces available for residents who aren’t ready or able to make the switch”.
The council received a £72,950 grant last year and used £25,000 of council funds, to install 36 charging units in Newbury and Hungerford.
But back in January opposition member for climate change Adrian Abbs (Lib Dem, Wash Common) said that 22 of the 28 current points had recorded zero usage.
Responding to the motion, he said: “If we are going to put charging points anywhere they actually need to be accessible to charge from.
“We got a grant and that allowed us to put some charging points in place.
“It appears in retrospect that we put the wrong type of charging points in, so we went for quantity rather than quality.”
Mr Abbs said the council needed to be bolder and reserve more spaces for people to charge electric vehicles overnight as this would be the best time to use the slow-charge points the council had installed.
He said: “Until people see a space in which they can put a ULEV [ultra-low emission vehicle] regularly they may not invest in an electric vehicle.
“So we’ve built the wrong stuff I’d argue, now we need to go away and allow it to be used.
“People need to see it’s there and make the change.”
Mr Somner said he understood the comments, but refusing to designate spaces as EV only was “whether we can do all of it and do it all for the right reasons and do it all successfully”.
He said; “I would question that we were able to do that.”
Mr Somner said the affordability of electric cars was “something that everybody is acutely aware of and until they come down to what most people would class as a sensible price, we need to look at alternatives”.
Newbury residents had said the slow charge points would exacerbate parking problems in the already congested areas of East Fields and West Fields.
The council said it would not have been practical to consult every individual resident about every charge point.
Mr Somner said: “While we may have been accused of putting the wrong thing, or whichever thing, in the wrong place, I think was important to do.
“It was an important step for us to take and I’m proud of the way the council has reacted to the funding that was available to do that.
“What we have now is some fine tweaking on that and engagement on that is going to be key.”
Ms Culver asked whether some points could be moved, saying ones around Argyle Road and a car club site near Craven Road could potentially be moved based on usage.
Mr Somner said the points could be moved without major upheaval.
The results of the ETRO will inform future decision as to when, where and how to roll out more EV-only parking bays.
The council said an ETRO invites objections based on how people have been affected and is therefore more likely to deal with facts than fears or perceptions.