- Green Councillor questions leader on lack of progress on installation of chargers, especially in Leigh ward
- Leigh ward currently has 0 public chargers
- Government mandates 22% of new car sales to be electric in 2024, rising to 100% in 2035
Green Party Councillor, Stuart Allen, has questioned the Labour leader of the council, Cllr Daniel Cowen, at last week’s Full Council meeting on the lack of publicly available charging points in Leigh ward.
For nearly 7 years several members of the Green Party, including Cllr Richard Longstaff, have been pushing the council to try and improve charging provisions, and due to a lack of action from the council, the city is now in a situation where we are one of the worst places to charge in the country. Leigh ward currently has zero public charging points meaning residents who want to make the transition to zero-tailpipe emission vehicles are having to find creative solutions to charge their vehicles, or continue to pump out toxic fumes from burning petrol or diesel.
“Car companies are now mandated to sell 22% of their vehicles as electric powered, this increases to 100% in just a few years. Instead of getting solutions installed now, we are sitting on our hands. We could be installing hundreds of ‘trickle’ chargers through the city by using our existing street lighting columns tomorrow. That alone would help many of our residents who are not privileged enough to have a driveway.”
“Whilst I always prefer to cycle or walk, there are reasons why people need use of a car, and we, as a Council, should be harnessing the grants that have been available to provide solutions that make it easy for residents to make the switch to electric, instead of pumping out all sorts of pollutants into the air. While I welcome talk of action from the leader, I’m disappointed that the administration seems to be in no rush to find a solution until almost 2026, by which time a third of new cars sold will have to be electric.”
Cllr Stuart Allen
Fellow Green Councillor Richard Longstaff continues, “It’s ridiculous that we still don’t have a single public charger in Leigh ward for residents to use. I first approached the Council about finding a solution 7 years ago. There are tried and tested solutions out there that can be used today, such as lamppost charging or pavement gullies. Many London boroughs have at least lamppost charging in place, earning revenue for the council and providing a solution to residents charging on-street.”
The Green Party continues its push to ensure there is adequate and reliable charging infrastructure in Southend.
– ENDS –