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Norwich MP Chloe Smith hits back at Green EV charger moans
Plans for 46 EV chargers on the city’s streets are currently the focus of a public consultation but the Norwich Green Party has voiced concern about their placement on pavements.
Norfolk County Council feels those worries are unnecessary though and Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North, feels it represents a “strange agenda”.
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It comes after the Norwich branch of Living Streets, which campaigns for pedestrian rights, last month claimed the placement of the chargers to be “a new threat to our public space”.
Now Green councillor for Wensum ward Liam Calvert has said: “Electric cars are a step in the right direction for reducing climate change but we can’t accept that life should be made more difficult for pedestrians.
“Chargers must not be placed on pavements at the expense of wheelchair users or parents with buggies.
“The council will attempt to seek adequate sapce, committing to leaving the legal minimum of one metre of pavement space on often very busy routes.
“However we really need double that space to ensure walking and wheeling are safe for all.”
With the consultation due to end on Friday, Conservative MP Chloe Smith, who has represented Norwich North since 2009 but is not standing at the next election, has questioned that viewpoint.
Ms Smith said: “It’s vital and morally right that new infrastructure, like EV charging points, is properly accessible from the outset.
“I’m glad the county council recognises that, which will help disabled or other less mobile drivers in Norwich be able to enjoy the benefits of EVs just like anyone else.
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“Placing charge points on the pavements, with enough room left for all other pavement users too, is decent common sense.
“I worry that some party political campaigners have a strange agenda here that is not in tune with people’s everyday needs in Norwich and Norfolk.
“We should set out to help everyone be part of a sensible transition to more environmentally-friendly driving.”
Members of the public have a chance to share their opinions on the matter with an online consultation being available until June 9.
Green Party councillor for Nelson Ward, Paul Neale, said: “We can learn from many London boroughs and councils around the country that have been doing this far longer.
“I recently visited Cambridge to evaluate best practice and they’ve adopted policies that require EV chargers to be placed on build-outs on the carriageway if pavements do not have adequate clearance.”
The Greens took two seats from Labour in last month’s local elections to increase their share to 13 councillors, with Labour remaining in control with 23 and the Lib Dems retaining their three.
The Conservative-controlled county council responded to the Green concerns, saying it will leave more than the required one metre of space at “all locations”.
A county council spokeswoman said: “In all locations identified for the installation of EV charge points the absolute minimum standards of footway widths of one metre will be protected to ensure accessibility.
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“We aspire to exceed this by ensuring that at least 1.2m is provided at all locations, with many locations currently exceeding 1.7m clearance.
“The chargers are positioned on the footway because this is where they are easier to operate and where they meet accessibility requirements, in terms of drivers with restricted mobility, including wheelchair users who will need to access sockets and payment terminals from footway level.
“We know from research that a lack of charging points is one of the top barriers to people making the transition to electric vehicles and hope this programme will support more people in the Norwich area to make the change to electric.”
