Littlehampton residents in successful fight against electric car charging points proposal

Plans to install electric car charging points in a residential road in Littlehampton have been called off.
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The new charging points were due to be built on Wick Farm Road after £1.8 million was awarded to the West Sussex Chargepoint Network. This is providing electric vehicle (EV) charging points for residents in areas, with no off-street parking.

Three locations had been proposed for Littlehampton – on Wick Farm Road, Fitzalan Road and Beaumont Park – whilst there was also a proposal in Wood Street, Bognor Regis.

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However – after concerns from residents came to light – West Sussex County Council has put its plans for Wick Farm Road on ice.

Resident Paul Cole is pleased that plans for electric car charging points in Wick Farm Road, Wick, Littlehampton have been called off after he told the councillors that it wasn't a suitable location. Photo: Steve Robards SR2303072Resident Paul Cole is pleased that plans for electric car charging points in Wick Farm Road, Wick, Littlehampton have been called off after he told the councillors that it wasn't a suitable location. Photo: Steve Robards SR2303072
Resident Paul Cole is pleased that plans for electric car charging points in Wick Farm Road, Wick, Littlehampton have been called off after he told the councillors that it wasn't a suitable location. Photo: Steve Robards SR2303072

A council spokesperson said: “We always listen to our residents and following the concerns raised will not be installing charge-points on Wick Farm Road.”

Resident Paul Cole, who campaigned against the plans, said it is a ‘small victory’, adding: “It won't go ahead at the moment but who knows what is going to happen in years to come. It's not indefinitely, just for now.”

The £1.8 million will part fund 450 on-street charge points and 100 in public car parks throughout the county, with the remainder of the cost covered by Connected Kerb – a leading chargepoint provider.

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It is hoped the grant will help encourage motorists in West Sussex to make the environmentally-conscious decision to switch to electric vehicles.

The new charging points were due to be built on Wick Farm Road. Photo: Steve RobardsThe new charging points were due to be built on Wick Farm Road. Photo: Steve Robards
The new charging points were due to be built on Wick Farm Road. Photo: Steve Robards

However, residents on Wick Farm Road felt plans to introduce charging points to their road were wholly inappropriate.

Nicola Edmunds wrote to the Littlehampton Gazette to raise her concerns. She said: “This is a residential side road and is in no way a suitable site for these charging points.

"Not all of the residents of Wick Farm Road were made aware of these proposals and most residents are opposed to the siting of these charging points, there are more suitable areas in the town that these could be sited.”

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Nicola’s husband, Kevin, added: “At this present moment in time, there is no member of Wick Farm Road residence that owns an electric vehicle.

“Wth the parking at a premium for residents, and parents parking to deliver their children to school, losing six bays to electric charging points is unacceptable. Most of us feel no one will use the charging points in this ridiculous location.”

Mr Cole said he received a letter in November about the proposals for electric car charging bays, which would have been big enough to take six cars.

He said. “The letter said we could complain and put in any objections by November 24. So I did and attached several photos to show the road is packed full of cars.

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"I asked them where are the electric cars supposed to park? You are forcing them to park on grass verges, on curbs, because there is just literally nowhere else

"There’s an alleyway that leads to a primary school and parents park in the road.”

Paul said he and his neighbours had no confirmation from the council to say the complaints had been received. On February 14, signs appeared on the road to say work was starting on the 23rd through to March 8.

"We had heard nothing, with no chance of talking to anyone,” Paul said. “No one got in touch. I put a post on Facebook and it kicked off from there.

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“Charging bays have come up in the past in Littlehampton. But why put them up in Wick Farm Road? We are miles from anywhere.

"It can take up to two hours to charge your vehicle. What do you in those two hours? It's a stupid place to put them. It's not warranted.”

The council said it made ‘every attempt’ to keep people informed of the roll out of the charge-points.

A spokesperson added: "In relation to Wick Farm Road, we distributed flyers to all properties in August 2022 and a further Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) consultation was carried out in November, which included a letter drop to properties that face onto the proposed location and site notices being put up on lampposts.

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"Whilst we received concerns from Littlehampton Town Council, we received no public objections for Wick Farm Road.”

Paul said he showed proof to the council that complaint was made, adding: “They were told to come down and start the work early which didn't go down too well. Apparently no one had complained.”

The council added: “WSCC is working hard to deliver on our concerns for the environment and the installation of charge-points is part of improving the air quality in the county and the environment underpins all of our priorities contained within our council plan which was recently updated.

"The roll-out of electric vehicle charge-points is progressing well and residents can check online UK’s largest public EV charging project (connectedkerb.com) to see which sites in phase one are now live and which ones will be soon with phase two being announced soon when residents will have the opportunity to let us know their views."

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