Concerns over access to new EV charging station

The site on Legrams Lane is now classed as a car park

Plans for an electric vehicle charging station on land used for car parking have been thrown into doubt.

Infrastructure company Zest submitted an application to Bradford Council as part of a scheme to provide five charging points in an area off Legrams Lane.

Permission has now been refused for a dropped kerb that would give drivers access to the site.

Highways officers ruled that the station would be too close to a busy junction and that introducing a new turn-off would be dangerous.

Four-way junction

Planners agreed with Zest's original submission that the land had been used for parking for more than 10 years and could be legally classed as a car park. Access is currently from a road at the rear of a convenience store.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Zest also wants to install delivery lockers and cameras at the site but concerns were raised about the proposed new access.

Highways officers said: “The site is in current use as an overflow car park that is used on an ad-hoc basis by residents of nearby properties and members of the public using the nearby retail outlets.

“The new dropped crossing would be formed to allow direct access into the car park and would facilitate use of an EV charging car park.

“This access point sits within close proximity to the four-way junction which is subject to high frequency usage.

“The new access point would allow right turns from oncoming traffic into the site and this could obstruct safe and free movement of vehicles through the nearby, busy, signalled junction.

“The proposal therefore raises highway safety concerns."

Refusing the plans, officers added: “Whilst the proposal has some positive effects, these are outweighed by the demonstrable harm to highway safety.”