Gloucestershire council to install 1,000 charging points

Some residents have raised concerns about the charging points taking up too much street parking space

Gloucestershire will get 1,000 electric vehicle charging points over the next three years.

The first 30 areas where they will be installed have been revealed, including points in Cheltenham, Gloucester and Stroud.

Gloucestershire County Council said the charging points are part of a wider campaign to tackle climate change.

Some residents have raised concerns about the charging points taking up too much street parking space.

BBC Radio Gloucestershire spoke to residents in Cheltenham about the plans.

"If we did have an electric car, the points would not work for us in family life because the points would not be near enough to our house," a mother said.

Another resident said: "I do think we need electric vehicle charging points, and I am happy to have a couple, but I think having four and taking out of what is currently six or seven parking spaces is going to be an issue. One or two per street or area would be much better."

Richard Jones, director of JEC Electrical in Gloucester, told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: "The on-street parking is the final piece of the jigsaw.

"There are other solutions like charging at work and charging at home.

"This is for people who cannot charge at home, it is one piece of the jigsaw."

He added that he agrees that they should put the charging points "in the right areas".

The current plans include charging points in the following areas:

• Cheltenham: 40 chargers on Shurdington Road, Malvern Road and Sherborne Street

• Gloucester: 20 chargers on Worcester Street, Stroud Road and Churchill Road

• Stroud: 16 chargers on Stratford Road and three streets in Berkeley

• Forest of Dean: 16 chargers on Station Street in Cinderford and Church Street in Newent

• Tewkesbury: 16 chargers on the High Street and Abbey Terrace in Winchcombe

• Cotswolds: 16 chargers on Gloucester Street in Cirencester and Fairford High Street