Car-charging solutions being blocked by Government

The Department of Transport must provide guidance for installing car charging for people without off-street parking, says local councillor Sam Al-Hamdani, who has written to Transport Minister Mark Harper requesting for the guidance to be issued as soon as possible.

At the moment, residents wanting electric cars are being blocked as Councils like Oldham’s are refusing to provide any option other than formal planning permission until the national guidance is issued.

Sam Al-Hamdani said: “There are people who want to buy electric cars, but without clear information on how they can install charging, they are effectively blocked from doing so.

“There are simple, safe and effective solutions on the market, but companies understandably want to ensure they are compliant with the law – and at the moment, the Government aren’t providing people with the information on how to do this.”

The lack of off-street parking in Oldham is a perennial issue; with anyone who has tried to find a space to mark on its many streets lined with terraced houses being all too familiar with the problem.

Councillor Al-Hamdani said: “The Tory Government makes a great deal out of supporting the marketplace. Well right now, people want to buy electric cars, companies want to sell them, and the Government is getting in the way.

“They need to stop making up issues to have arguments about, and get on with delivering practical solutions to help people – or let someone else do that instead.”

The letter to the Transport Minster, the The Rt Hon Mark Harper, reads:

11/03/2024

Dear Mr Harper,

In October 2023, the DfT published its Plan for Drivers (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/651fe3022548ca000dddee82/the-plan-for-drivers.pdf) which states that the DfT will be looking to provide councils with guidance on the safe use of cross-pavement solutions for car charging (page 24). Currently, this guidance has yet been issued to councils.

For towns like Oldham, where the majority of houses have no off-street parking, this advice is critical for people who want to buy electric vehicles. Installers of on street charging are requesting written confirmation from Councils that street provision is acceptable, but our Council are awaiting the guidance from the Government before they are prepared to do so.

I would first of all like to request that all efforts are made to ensure that the creates options for people to install cross-pavement solutions for car charging.

If we are not consistent and joined-up in the way that we do this, we will fail to meet environmental ambitions. Using petrol and diesel cars has a particular impact in wards like mine where there are schools located on cul-de-sacs and heavy traffic at pickup and drop-off times results in children being left in a fug of pollutants. We need to encourage more children to walk to school, but we also need to minimise pollutants from car fumes in these locations, and electric cars will achieve that.

I would also like to request that this guidance is issued to councils as a matter of priority. People are making decisions about the purchase of electric vehicles all the time, and the market for them is growing. A failure to provide this guidance means that legislation is getting in the way of the market – which I am sure is a problem that goes against your values.

I would be grateful for any information you can provide on the likely direction of the guidance and publication timetable.

Best regards,