Hundreds of new electric car charging points are being installed in Waltham Forest
By Victoria Munro

An electric car charging bay (Stock image/Nick Birse)

The number of charging points for electric cars around the borough will double by April next year, although mostly in the south of the borough.

The increase is part of Waltham Forest Council’s significant investment in sustainable transport, which also includes low-traffic neighbourhoods and improving cycle lanes.

Use of the borough’s charging points has approximately tripled since the start of 2020 and the council has received more than 1,000 requests for new charging points from residents.

By April next year, the number of charging points around the borough will jump from just over 200 to 404.

New charging points are being concentrated towards the south of the borough in wards such as Grove Green, Hoe Street and Markhouse.

Chingford areas like Endlebury, Larkswood and Valley will still have fewer than five charging points each even after the influx of installations.

This is due to opposition to the chargers in areas outside of the North Circular, as the council’s attempts to introduce 40 new chargers were shot down by residents in all but three cases.

According to a report by council officers, residents tended to be opposed due to concerns they would lose visitors parking or that it would increase traffic by drawing in drivers from elsewhere.

Residents were also reportedly worried there could be “noise issues or drug-dealing in cars” using the chargers, although so far the council has received no complaints about this in relation to existing chargers.

The report adds: “It remains the council’s ambition that there is electric vehicle infrastructure in place across the borough to enable those residents who need to own a vehicle to make the switch”

The installation of new charging points is being paid for using “external funding”, although the report does not name the source.

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