New wave of on-street EV chargepoints planned across Portsmouth
Portsmouth City Council is set to approve the next wave of electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints planned for Nelson, Charles Dickens, Fratton and St Thomas wards.
The scheme forms part of the council’s On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme, funded by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles and operator Zest.
If approved, 52 new sites will be added, stretching from Duke Crescent in Charles Dickens ward to Waterloo Street in St Thomas. Among the locations earmarked are Garnier Street, Cumberland Road, Ariel Road, Claremont Road, Cowper Road, Ernest Road, Queens Road, St Mary’s Road and North End Avenue.
Chargepoints are also set for Cuthbert Road, Bettesworth Road, Brookefield Road, Newcome Road, Whitworth Road and Harcourt Road. Other sites include Thorncroft Road, Walmer Road and Guildford Road.
Residents could soon see bays appear along Havant Road, Jervis Road, Beresford Road, Gladys Avenue, Knox Road, Emsworth Road and Smeaton Street.
Other potential locations include Belmont Street, Middle Street, Grosvenor Street, Green Road, Margate Road, Playfair Road, Southsea Terrace, St Andrews Road and Waterloo Street.
Some proposals have been held back. Island View Terrace, Strode Road, St David’s Road, Shakespeare Road and Balliol Road will be reviewed again in a later phase due to safety concerns, disabled bay applications or strong objections.
The council says the bays will be placed where residents have already requested charging, often close to where EVs are already parked.
“The introduction of more publicly accessible on-street charge points, especially in areas with limited off-street parking, would enable residents to convert to electric vehicles with the knowledge they can charge their EVs close to home,” officers state in the report.
Public consultation received 92 responses across the 52 sites, with most objections linked to parking loss. Supporters, which made up 12 per cent of responses, described the move as a positive step forward for improving air quality.
The Cabinet Member for Transport will make the final decision at a meeting on 18 September. More information can be found in the officer’s report.