As world leaders gathered to discuss how they will tackle climate change at COP26 in Glasgow, Swindon Borough Council has taken its own small step towards reducing vehicle emissions in the town.
The Council has completed the installation of the Boroughs’ first ever on-street electric vehicle charging bays, in key locations chosen by residents.
11 new double-headed electric vehicle charging points, totalling 22 bays, have been installed across Swindon, in order to encourage more residents to make the switch to a zero emission vehicle.
Last year, the Council ran a survey to understand how residents might use electric vehicle charging points in Swindon and where the demand was highest in the Borough.
Following completion of the survey, a bid was made to the Government and funding was secured for 11 double-headed on-street electric vehicle charging points, totalling 22 bays.
The majority of the funding for the 22 charging bays will come from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, with the rest funded directly by the Council.
Following the successful bid, and after identifying the most popular locations, the 22 charging point parking bays have now been installed in several areas across the Central and Eastcott Wards, including:
- Broad Street (4 parking bays)
- Westmorland Street (2 parking bays)
- Dixon Street (2 parking bays)
- Maidstone Road (2 parking bays)
- Ashford Road (4 parking bays)
- William Street (2 parking bays)
- Milton Road (4 parking bays)
- Ford Street (2 parking bays)
Each charging point has been branded with the Council’s ‘Be the Change’ community-led climate change campaign logo.
While there will be a cost to use the charging points, 25p per KWh, or around 7p per mile, it will be cheaper than a petrol or diesel alternative. The charging points will be operated by EB Charging, and users can download the EB GO! app to manage their charging.
An experimental Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) is currently in place for residents to comment on the restricted charging point bays, which can only be used by residents with an electric vehicle. Residents can provide their feedback until 31 January 2022, after which time the Council will review the comments received and determine if the parking bays will become a permanent feature.
Residents can find out more and share their views here.
All residents and visitors with a valid Resident Zone Parking permit are welcome to use the bays to charge their electric vehicles, and it is hoped their installation will encourage road users in the local area to consider the switch to driving an electric vehicle.
Louise, a resident in the Eastcott Ward, currently drives a small petrol car but has wanted to replace it with an electric car for some time.
She said: “Electric vehicles can have a significant role in shifting away from our reliance on fossil fuels. I’m really pleased to see the Council continuing to take an active role in decarbonisation and cleaner air. Given the urgency of addressing climate change, finding opportunities to build the infrastructure we need is a great investment for tomorrow.
“Access to charging facilities is a great step forward in neighbourhoods like mine, where most drivers rely on on-street parking. I am now several hundred times more likely to buy an electric vehicle, as before these charging points were available, my only option was a hybrid. I would say I am very confident that my next car will be an electric vehicle.”
Andy, another resident in the Eastcott Ward, said: “I bought an electric vehicle in 2018 but home charging is not possible in a terraced street. These charging points are a real benefit to me and should enable more residents to consider changing to an electric vehicle.”
Councillor Keith Williams, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Finance and Commercialisation, said: “Over the next few years, encouraging more residents to make the switch to an electric vehicle will play a key role in reducing Swindon’s carbon emissions and help us join the journey to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, in line with the Government’s target. But, in order to do this, it’s important we have the infrastructure in place to make it simple and convenient for residents to use electric vehicles.
“With the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP26) taking place in Glasgow this week, climate change is rightly dominating the world agenda. But it’s not just down to world leaders to make a difference. We all have an important part to play and by introducing these charging points in the most requested areas of the town, and by developing our wider Electric Vehicle Charging Point Strategy, we hope to see more residents being the change and switching to electric vehicles.”
More information on the scheme and electric vehicles in general can be found by visiting the Swindon Travel Choices website.
