More than 50 new EV chargepoints approved for streets in Baffins and Milton
Over 50 new on-street electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints across Baffins and Milton have been given the green light by Portsmouth City Council.
The move follows a decision in June to roll out 59 chargers across the north of the city. Now, 56 additional locations in the eastern wards of Baffins and Milton will go ahead, excluding Kendall Avenue, Essex Road, Myrtle Grove and Teddington Road due to concerns about accessibility and proximity to double yellow lines.
Local concerns were raised by Baffins ward councillor Abdul Kadir, who emphasised that most residents support the wider EV strategy. However, he questioned aspects of the consultation process.
He noted that objections for specific locations were considered using absolute numbers rather than percentages, and added that alternative locations suggested by residents had “not been fully explored.”
A consultation held between 27 March and 17 April saw 171 unique objections. Only 7 per cent of respondents expressed support for the plans.
The funding for the new chargepoints comes from the central government’s On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme.
A council officer clarified that the funding is restricted to installing chargers in on-street residential areas and cannot be used for car parks or other public assets.
Councillor Peter Candlish noted that the EV scheme originally began in 2018 when ownership levels were still low.
“The latest data that we have is that four percent of vehicles in Portsmouth are EVs,” he said. “We need to make sure that the transition is fair and accessible to everyone, not just those who have private driveways or chargers in other locations.”
He acknowledged that parking concerns were the “overwhelming concern” among residents but reminded them that the scheme would only take up around 300 of the city’s 80,000 parking spaces.
Residents can view the full list of approved locations and consultation responses on the Portsmouth City Council website.