Public car parks in Swindon could see more charging points installed if a new council plan is approved.

Members of Swindon Borough Council’s Conservative cabinet have approved the authority’s draft electric vehicle charging strategy to be put out for public consultation.

After an eight-week period where views of the public will be sought, the plan will be revised if needed and sent back to the cabinet for final approval and adoption.

Introduced by the cabinet member for climate change and finance Keith Williams, the strategy says: “Under the Road to Zero strategy, the government plans to ban the sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles as early as 2030. Enabling this ambition will require a step change in the provision of electric vehicle infrastructure.

The council needs to start preparing for this transition and must work to rollout a network of charging infrastructure across the borough so that local businesses, residents and visitors, particularly those without access to off road parking, are not disadvantaged.”

Coun Williams told his colleagues the rate of uptake of electric or hybrid vehicles in Swindon was accelerating

He said: “The number of electric vehicles registered in SN postcodes since 2017 has risen by an average of 54 per cent per year, with over 5500 registrations in the first three quarters of 2020.

“Fifteen per cent of vehicles registered were plug-in, with 8.8 per cent fully electric and the rest being hybrid.”

The strategy says there needs to be a mixture of slow, fast and rapid – which is quicker than merely ‘fast’ – charging, with the higher speed of charge needed for public points.

Coun Williams said: “We’ve just installed 11 on-street charging points which wills serve 22 cars.

“A key area for more charging points is public car parks for those who can’t charge at home or who don’t have access to on-street chargers. 

"Knowing there are points in places like car parks is important to people.”

Coun Williams told Labour councillor Jane Milner-Barry the 11 new charging points were not active yet but should come online later in the summer or early autumn.

The strategy was approved and will be published on the council’s website for public comments.