POP-UP electric charging points which could be installed on one Oxford street as part of a world-first pilot have been asked for by just 14 people.
The city council will take part in a £474,000 pilot with firm Urban Electric, which will see up to 20 retractable bollards installed on the Oxford’s street.
But it has emerged that on two of the shortlisted streets where the chargers could be installed, just one person asked for them.
And some residents are annoyed that limited parking space will be taken up by cars using the charging points - despite the fact the city council has said this will not happen.
Among the streets which the council has shortlisted to be the pilot for the scheme are Frenchay Road and Lonsdale Road, both in Summertown – but just one resident in each street called for them to be placed there.
Another four nominations were given for Rutherway.
Jim Campbell, a former Liberal Democrat city councillor who lives in Frenchay Road, said: "We are concerned that there will be cars coming in to make it even more difficult for us to park.
"The reason Frenchay Road has been chosen is that they have got power points which are compatible with the charging points."
In a letter to the Oxford Times, Mr Campbell added: "The council’s objectives are laudable, and they understandably welcome funding connected with these objectives.
"However, when that funding comes with conditions, those conditions may lead to a policies that have not been fully thought out, and are not necessarily in the long term interest of the council or the public."
The city council said it had received eight road nominations from 14 individuals when it asked for suggestions in May.
Tom Hayes, board member for safer and greener environment, said: "We’re now engaging in dialogue with residents of the shortlisted streets to get their views and on-the-ground knowledge about the proposed project before making any final decisions.
“The plan for this trial is to install the pop-up charging points along the length of a road, and then test whether this enables the one or two electric vehicle owners in the road to charge their car without having to resort to laying cables from their home. The other people who live in the street should be unaffected: the charging points won’t affect the number of parking spaces in the street, we will not have to section of parking spaces as electric vehicle-only, and all three shortlisted streets are in controlled parking zones.
"Understandably, some people have questions about the necessity and inconveniences of charging points, and I was delighted to spend a few hours with residents at a public event where I was able to answer specific questions. Since that meeting I have received a number of emails from residents who say they feel more comfortable with the proposal."
Of the people who asked for the charging points, four people wanted them installed in Plater Drive in Jericho. But they could not be built there because there are already utilities set up underground.
Another four Oxford streets got four nominations each.
Sparsey Place in Cutteslowe was nominated by one person but the length of the road is too short to achieve enough charging points as part of the pilot.
A second person nominated Nicholson Road in Marston but there request was turned down because they already have off-road parking.
Lawn Upton Place in Littlemore was nominated and then turned down because it is a private road and not a public highway. Cowley Place was requested by a business rather than for a resident, which is the reason for the pilot, and so that request was also turned down.
The city council said the 7kW chargers could charge an average electric vehicle with a 100-mile range in about four hours. Other electric cars could take six hours.
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