Rollout of electric vehicle charging points gets under way
More than 20 sites were chosen to be part of the first phase of the rollout after residents were invited to give their feedback and work started on the first five sites around the county on Monday 16 October.
The first five sites are in: Stroud Road, Gloucester; Churchill Road, Gloucester; Abbey Terrace, Winchcombe; Elwyn Road, Cheltenham; Church Street, Newent.
Work is expected to take about three weeks to complete and the chargepoints are due to be operational in the week commencing 6 November.
The locations for the first phase of the rollout, along with more information, can be found here and further locations are being identified to continue the next phase.
The county council listened to public feedback and made changes to the proposals in light of responses. To ensure value for money, two twin chargepoints are being installed in many locations, so four EVs can be charged. However in areas with the greatest parking pressures only two bays for EVs are being marked out initially, before there is demand to fill four bays.
Some locations in Stroud were dropped following the feedback and the council has made it a high priority to find alternative sites.
The programme is part of the county council’s strategy to tackle the climate emergency, helping Gloucestershire to reduce the impact of transport on our climate and improve local air quality. The scheme is funded by the county council and the Department for Transport’s On Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS).
Greater availability of public chargepoints will make it easier for residents to switch to EVs. However with one third of homes in Gloucestershire lacking the ability to charge an EV on a driveway, the council and government are prioritising chargepoints in these locations.
These new chargepoints will be installed in public areas, giving residents greater confidence that they will be able to charge their EV either near their home, while working or when out and about in the county.
Around one third of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Gloucestershire comes from transport and private vehicle use accounts for over half of this (55 per cent). However switching from fossil fuel to electric vehicles has the potential to reduce these figures significantly.
The county council has appointed Connected Kerb to install and run its network of chargers. Residents can share their views on where they think new charging points should be located by registering their interest here.
Cllr David Gray, cabinet member for environment and planning at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “I’m delighted that the rollout for our electric vehicle charging points has now started. Electric vehicles reduce emissions and noise pollution, as well as improve air quality. These charging points will provide accessible facilities for residents who do not have off-street parking and help to create a greener Gloucestershire.”
Chris Pateman-Jones, CEO of Connected Kerb, said: “Local communities are the beating heart of the EV transition which is why listening to their feedback on EV charging proposals is so important. Our aim is make EV charging inclusive, reliable and convenient for everyone, particularly residents without a driveway, so all input is invaluable. This is a great project that will encourage further EV uptake and accelerate Gloucestershire’s efforts to tackle climate change.”
Find out more about how you can reduce your travel emissions on the Thinktravel website: https://www.thinktravel.info
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