EV charging rollout gets green light in Portsmouth
Portsmouth City Council has approved plans to install 52 new electric vehicle (EV) charging bays in neighbourhoods throughout the city.
The decision was made during a transport meeting, as part of the On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS), which aims to support residents without access to private driveways.
The initiative is intended to make EV ownership more practical by enabling residents to charge their vehicles close to home. The new chargepoints will either be mounted on existing lamp posts or installed using compact bollards, providing slower, overnight charging for convenience.
A public consultation on the plans drew 222 objections and just 23 messages of support. Concerns raised by residents included the loss of parking spaces, potential noise, and the placement of chargers directly outside homes.
Despite the opposition, the council is moving forward with the scheme, which is jointly funded by the government and private provider Zest. Officials have stated that the chargers form part of a broader strategy to cut emissions and prepare for a future with fewer petrol and diesel vehicles.
Cllr Peter Candlish, cabinet member for transport, described the rollout as a “very forward-looking and significant programme”. He said the council’s motivation was clear, noting that “something like one in 25 vehicles in the city” are already electric, with forecasts suggesting this could rise to “one in seven” by 2030.
He acknowledged that parking remains the “biggest concern” among residents but emphasised the council’s obligation under “ministerial direction” to improve air quality, adding that boosting EV uptake is one of the ways they aim to tackle this.
Cllr Candlish also stressed that “care [is] being taken to site these places in the best possible locations”, although he admitted this does not mean there will be “no negative impacts”.
Installation work is due to begin in July and is expected to be completed by the end of September. The council says the project aligns with its wider goal of improving air quality and making Portsmouth a more sustainable city.
Although 59 locations were initially proposed, five have since been removed from the scheme. Residents can view the list on the council website which excludes the following addresses: 55 Kirby Road, 74 Inhurst Road, 138 Laburnum Grove, 8 Monckton Road, 120 Kensington Road, 59 Inhurst Road, and 20 Monckton Road.