Agenda item

Report of the Director of Transportation and Highways

Note: The objectors have been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Director of Transportation and Highways concerning two objections that had been received to an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order advertised on 22^nd April 2021 for two fast chargers on Browning Road and two fast charges on Billing Road which became operational on 3^rd May. A summary of the issues contained in the two objections and the responses were set out at an appendix to the report. Both objectors were invited to the meeting but were unable to attend.

The report indicated that Coventry was at the cutting edge of the automotive industry and a leader in innovation. Electric vehicles lay at the heart of this development and following a number of successful bids, the city council had installed over 403 residential electric chargepoints city wide. A further 155 chargepoints were due to commence installation from January 2022 and would be operational by end of July 2022. This programme was intended to future-proof the city’s transport infrastructure for the increase in electric vehicle ownership in line with national Government policy, with the Government having committed to ending sales of new diesel- and petrol-powered vehicles from 2030.

Electric car sales were increasing exponentially, and the Council had recognised the need to act to future-proof the city’s transport system for electric vehicles. This included installing Electric Vehicle (EV) charge points on residential streets where residents had no off-street parking to give people the chance to charge an EV at or near their home even when they didn’t have a private driveway.

The Cabinet Member was informed that to date, the City Council had secured £2.12 million to support this programme, and Coventry had the highest number of EV charge points of any city in the UK outside London.

As part of the initiative, the City Council had installed two 22kW charging bollards on Browning Road and two 22kW charging bollards on Billing Road with an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order operational 6.00 am to10.00 pm, for electric vehicles to park for up to four hours no return within four hours operational from 3rd May 2021 with a six month objection period which expired on 3^rd November. These restrictions were necessary to allow for the visitors or residents to move their electric car once charged to make the facility accessible to other residents/visitors.

The reported referred to the consultation exercise which had been undertaken which involved sending out 825 street news to the area for Billing Road (Zone S) and 194 street news for the Browning Road area (Zone T) including carrying out drop-in-sessions in each Zone and then sending out a further street news with an update following the initial consultation.

The report referred to the two objections that had been, with further details being set out in the appendices to the report. It was reported that some of the issues raised were general in natural and not relevant to the introduction of these individual chargepoints.

RESOLVED that, having considered the objections received to the City of Coventry (Various Locations Phase 10) (Electric Charging Places) (Experimental) Order 2021, approval be given for the Order to be made permanent.