Wakefield Council set to introduce electric vehicle charging plan across the district

The move comes as the number of plug-in vehicles on our roads continues to increase.

One in five new car sales is now an electric vehicle (EV) and over 2,500 electric cars and vans are registered to owners in the Wakefield district.

The council’s new strategy outlines its vision for EV charging so that residents and businesses have enough access.

A report to the council’s cabinet states: “The number of electric vehicles on the road is expected to continue to grow exponentially, demonstrating the need to provide sufficient charging infrastructure.

“This will be required to meet the growing need of EV drivers locally, but also to make sure that a lack of confidence in being able to access charging facilities will not present a barrier to people switching to electric vehicles.”

Key areas of the strategy involve the council working with charge point operators (CPOs) to provide charging facilities on local authority and private land.

The use of council-owned car parks will be considered.

Potential sites in the district have been identified.

The plan will also look to create ‘charging hubs’ where several chargers are located for the public to park and charge.

The hubs could be located in existing car parks or at specifically built sites similar to petrol forecourts.

As of October 2022 there were 94 publicly available EV chargers in the Wakefield district, which is below the national average.

Compared to other areas of West Yorkshire, Wakefield is ahead of Kirklees and Bradford but is behind Leeds and Calderdale.

The report states: “The expansion of EV use across the district has the potential to improve local air quality, with associated benefits for the physical health of adults, children, and families living locally.

“Air pollution is an issue that disproportionately impacts residents who live in inner-city areas which suffer from poorer air quality through a combination of intensive traffic corridors, industry, and the concentration of development.”

The report says the cost of electric vehicles is currently “prohibitive” for many people.

But the price difference between electric cars and traditional vehicles is narrowing, and is expected to largely disappear.

The report states that the strategy must benefit all in the community and the council should ensure that CPOs are not able to ‘cherry pick’ locations which may be more profitable, to the detriment of poorer areas.

Coun Jack Hemingway, Wakefield Council’s cabinet member for environment and climate change, said: “The number of electric vehicles on the road is expected to continue to grow, which means we must provide sufficient charging infrastructure for our residents and visitors, and make sure that a lack of confidence in being able to access charging facilities will not present a barrier to people switching to electric vehicles.

“We want our charging network to be high quality, open and accessible to everyone, which will of course also contribute towards a greener district for all.”

Cabinet members are expected to approve the strategy at a meeting on Tuesday March 21.