Oxfordshire Parking Spaces Replaced by EV-Only Charging Bays

Oxfordshire EV Charging Plans Face Concerns Over Parking Loss

Oxfordshire Parking Spaces Replaced by EV-Only Charging Bays Regular parking spaces are being replaced by electric vehicle-only charging bays at several locations across Oxfordshire after the county council approved a number of proposed restrictions. The changes form part of a £4 million Government-funded programme to install 1,500 public EV chargers on streets and in car parks across the county. However, the plans have attracted concerns over the loss of parking for non-electric vehicles, pedestrian obstruction and the level of opposition raised during consultation. Parking Changes Across Oxfordshire Transport chief Gareth Epps approved charging bays at a number of locations, while other proposals were deferred or refused following concerns raised by communities. Bays in Oxford, Berinsfield, Burford and Henley were approved outright, while further spaces in Oxford and Kidlington were approved subject to additional checks. Proposals in Deddington were deferred, while plans in Bampton, Shrivenham, Headington and Witney were also deferred amid community concerns. Proposed charging bays in Carterton and Eynsham were refused. Council officers said at least four chargers need to be installed at each location to meet the business case for contractor Connected Kerb, due to the cost involved in establishing a grid connection. More than 1,000 pages of consultation responses and reports were considered during the council meeting. Concerns Over Parking and Pavements Alison Hill, speaking for the Coalition for Healthy Streets and Active Travel and Summertown and St Margaret’s Neighbourhood Forum, raised concerns about chargers becoming obstacles on pavements. The group supported some installations provided the pavement remained at least two metres wide. Melanie Greene, who lives at The Phelps in Kidlington, questioned the impact on existing parking and described the proposals as potentially creating a 50 per cent reduction in parking in her area. She suggested that EV charging bays could instead have specified daytime charging periods, allowing residents to park in the spaces at other times. Concerns were also raised in Bampton about the proposed Market Square location, with Spencer Komodromou warning that restricted parking could push vehicles into other potentially unsafe areas and contribute to overcrowding. The council said it would look for another location in Bampton. A council officer defended the wider programme, saying the grant funding would help ensure rural and deprived communities were not left behind. The officer also said two-thirds of the planned chargers would be located in car parks, while some street locations were needed to provide charging facilities within a five-minute walk of homes. The council described the changes as a transfer of parking use rather than a loss of parking, arguing that the bays would be used by electric vehicles as EV ownership increases.