Calls for more electric vehicle charging points in rural areas in Wrexham

Calls have been made for more electric vehicle charging points to be installed away from Wrexham town centre.

The comments from councillors were made during a meeting of the homes and environment scrutiny committee last week.

Over the last few years electric car charging points have been installed in locations around the town centre, including at the Guildhall, Ty Pawb and Waterworld.

EV charging points are also available county wide at the likes of supermarkets, along Chirk bypass and other privately owned companies.

However at a meeting to probe progress of Wrexham Council’s decarbonisation plans there were questions asked over whether the infrastructure to allow people to charge cars nearer their homes will be provided in time.

Cllr John Phillips, who represents the Penycae area, said: “As we know, the production of petrol and diesel cars come to an end in 2030.

“I can only imagine the challenges ahead will be immense.

“Unfortunately, many of our major housing estates will not be able to take advantage of on plot parking to charge their vehicles and designated EV recharging points will be desperately, desperately needed.

“The report mentioned gaps in technology and your solution with EV charging infrastructure on the streets. Is it possible to give an update on progress?”

“Many areas in the borough have estates like mine, where it’s not possible to have on plot parking where they live.

“It’s happened twice now where residents have come to me and said we’ve gone electric, but we can’t charge them outside our own house.

“I know it’s early days, but 2030 is not too far away and it just needs that infrastructure in place for the demand that we know is going to come pretty quick.”

Ponciau councillor Paul Pemberton said the situation regarding EV chargers needs to be looked at as county wide, not just town centre.

He said: “I think majority are in the town centre, it’s is the same as buses, anybody in a rural area suffers.

“If you’re on a bank holiday if you like in Penycae, and you got nowhere to charge your car, you’re grounded.

“I think the whole situation needs to be looked at as a more of a borough and not just the town centre because there are people living in big communities in rural areas, not just in the town centre.”

Commenting on the rollout of further charging points in Wrexham, the council officer explained that there are “opportunities to apply for limited funding through Olev (Office for Low Emission Vehicles) grant for on street EV charging for properties which have very low levels of street capacity.”

She said: “It’s a consideration of is it possible for us to provide the infrastructure in the timeframe that’s necessary for everybody to be able to charge electric vehicle outside their own homes.

“I suppose it is about being focused and prioritising what we can achieve in first instance.

“It’s more of a Welsh Government input needed on what they pose as a strategy for that. How can we provide what we need to provide for everybody that currently drives a non-electric vehicle to drive an electric vehicle.

“Is that something that we can actually achieve within that timeframe.

“It’s part of the lobbying that we do around Welsh Government, which is how can we do that, what else can we do.”

The officer added: “Any kind of transport policy will focus on densities, so they generally tend to focus on areas where you get the highest density so you get most investment return.

“However, I appreciate that it is obviously rural / semi rural communities within Wrexham County Borough Council.

“Most of our EV charging points that we’ve put in recently have been more rural locations, so it is recognising that.

“We can take requests so if any councillors want to come to us with locations. As long as we can fit it within the on street EV charging parameters, we will consider the location within an area that we can put at least one two charging points as a start.”