Funding boost for electric vehicle chargepoint expansion

Plans to make owning and driving an electric vehicle more convenient in Wokingham Borough have received significant investment from the Government.

The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) has awarded £282,000 from its Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund towards installing more chargepoints.

Most of this would support the planning phase of the rollout, ensuring the correct processes are always followed - while a separate application for a further £264,000, which has not yet been decided, would fund the necessary infrastructure.

To plan future provision as effectively as possible, the council is inviting suggestions from residents in areas where chargepoints might be appropriate.

Those without a private driveway or garage can email evon-streetchargepoints@wokingham.gov.uk to be considered, although provision cannot be guaranteed.

Next steps in a long-term plan

The news comes while the council is working to install 38 new chargepoints across 18 residential streets or car parks in the borough following an earlier bid for OZEV funding.

These are mostly being met through a £173,500 contribution from the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme, with the supplier paying the rest at no net cost to the taxpayer.

Installation is now well under way on the chargepoints and power connections, and they should be fully up and running by early autumn.

They will work on a pay-as-you-go basis and are proven to be within walking distance of areas with high demand, so they will be well used. The locations are:

• William Heelas Way, Pigott Road, St Paul’s Gate and Rose Street, plus the Denmark Street and Cockpit Path car parks, Wokingham
• Station Road and the Polehampton Close (West) car park, Twyford
• Westminster Way, Maiden Place and the Station Road car park, Earley
• Chatsworth Avenue, Winnersh
• Wheble Drive plus the Pitford Road and Headley Road car parks, Woodley
• Bramshill Close, Arborfield
• Roycroft Lane, Finchampstead
• Braybrooke Road, Wargrave

Targeting areas of greatest need

Many of these locations have a high proportion of terraced houses or flats and some have long-standing air quality issues which the council is working to address.

Dedicated EV-only bays are proposed everywhere except Twyford, with free access in the car parks between 6pm and 8am. Where existing on-street bays require a residents’ permit, this will remain unchanged to ensure they are only used by EV owners who live locally.

The council will soon apply for a Traffic Regulation Order to enable this, which will be subject to a statutory consultation. These will be advertised on site, on the council’s website and other communications channels and in the local media.

A range of ways to travel sustainably

Cllr Paul Fishwick, executive member for active travel, transport and highways, said: “It’s great to see this proposal becoming a reality - and we’re delighted to be laying the foundations for future works with our latest successful bid.

“Alongside our efforts to promote walking, cycling and public transport, which includes making these safer and easier, this will support our goals of improving air quality and addressing the climate emergency by working towards carbon neutrality.

“First and foremost, we encourage people to consider whether they need to drive at all - but we appreciate that this will sometimes be the case and want to make it easier to do this in a more environmentally responsible way.

“Electric vehicles are also cheaper to run than petrol or diesel in the long term, so this will help owners live more affordably as the cost of living continues increasing.”

Where to go for more information

Once the Traffic Regulation Order consultation launches, residents will be able to respond on the council's website.

For more about electric vehicles and charging infrastructure in Wokingham Borough, visit our My Journey Wokingham active travel team's page.