Norfolk County Council has reportedly delayed the installation of new EV chargers across the city of Norwich.
According to reports from local news outlets, Norfolk County Council has expressed concern surrounding the installation of 46 new public EV chargers in streets across Norwich. The installation is being performed by Blink Charging, which was formerly known as EB Charging in the UK before it was acquired by US-based Blink.
The concerns cited by Norfolk County Council focus on the chargers taking up too much room on pavements, impeding people in wheelchairs and parents with pushchairs. These concerns have popped up across the UK in recent years, with many councils in London criticised for their apparent disregard for disabled constituents. Some of these EV chargers can take up as much as 50% of the width of a pavement – leaving some unable to pass.
However, campaigners in Norwich have identified an alternative – installing chargers on ‘islands’ that take up car parking space, as opposed to pavement space. While this means the 46 chargers are currently delayed, Norfolk County Council has stated that it remains committed to the project.
Speaking to the Eastern Daily Press, a spokeswoman for Norfolk County Council, noted, “As the first project of its kind in the county, we want to ensure we have the best solution and provide infrastructure that is fit for purpose both now and for the future.
“Because of this, we have decided to undertake design reassessments of the proposals at some of the sites.
“This redesign process is being undertaken over the next four weeks and as the designs are completed the project’s timescales will be updated.
“We will be able to provide more information on amended plans and timescales for delivery in September.”