Basingstoke ObserverMORE than 75 new electric vehicle chargers could be installed in Basingstoke and Deane later this year if a bid for government funding is successful.
Local MP Maria Miller has called for more support for residents to access on-road electric charging points in Basingstoke’s residential areas where off-road parking isn’t the norm.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council was the first in Hampshire to open a town centre ‘charging hub’ and they want to do more to support residents to have a place to charge an electric car even if they don’t have an off road driveway. Maria has pressed the Government for their support.
Maria has asked Ministers in Parliamentary Questions; “Thousands of electric charging points are being installed across the country, including in Basingstoke town centre, but what support is available to give people who do not have off-street parking access to charging points in residential areas?
The Minister responding said; “I am pleased to hear about the good work that is being done by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. We want to spread that across the country. Since 2020 we have committed £2.5 billion to support the transition to zero emission vehicles, offsetting their higher up-front costs and accelerating the roll-out of transport infrastructure. I should be delighted to meet my right hon. friend to discuss more ways in which we can support her council.”
Maria said after questions: “ Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has already opened the first electric vehicle hub in the county and is now working on plans to expand access to on-road charging points for electric vehicles. When I meet the Minister I will be asking the Government to support these ambitious plans to help our community reach its target of becoming a carbon neutral Borough by 2030, and reducing roadside air pollution.”
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council, as local highway authority, are jointly preparing a bid for government funding to install new electric vehicle charging points on streets and in residential areas across the borough.
As part of preparing the bid the councils have identified up to 40 different locations for the potential installation of new chargers, including in Norden, Brighton Hill, Popley, Eastrop and Grove and Brookvale and Kings Furlong in Basingstoke, as well as in Tadley, Oakley, Sherfield on Loddon and Overton.
Aiming for the installations to take place as swiftly as possible, the potential locations were selected as they already have a suitable power supply near to the road for the new charging points to connect to.
Other considerations included looking at areas with limited off-street parking, as well as having chargers within five minutes’ walk of homes and in places where demand is likely to be higher in the near future, based on technical assessments and requests from residents to the county council.
Cabinet Member for the Natural Environment and Climate Improvement Cllr Mark Ruffell said: “Giving residents the confidence to switch to electric vehicles, as a greener and more sustainable form of transport, is a vital part of fulfilling our vision for a net zero carbon borough in Basingstoke and Deane.
We already have a strong track record with delivering electric vehicle chargers and our work alongside the county council is set to increase this further, almost doubling the number of public chargers in our borough to make it easier for residents, including those without driveways, to make the switch, cutting carbon emissions and improving local air quality.”
Provided the bid is successful, the government’s On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme would cover up to three quarters of the overall installation costs, with the borough council looking to fund the remaining balance. The electric vehicle charging points would then be installed over the summer and autumn later this year, based on availability.
Around a quarter of the new chargers would be fast chargers, able to charge a car from empty to 100% in two to five hours depending on car and battery capacity, with the rest being ideal for charging an electric vehicle overnight or during the working day.
