LAMPPOSTS in Basingstoke will be fitted with electric vehicle charging points as part of a more than £1m investment.

Five lampposts in Abbey Road in Popley, Schubert Road in Brighton Hill, and Culver Road in Brookvale and in Kings Furlong, will be fitted with charging points as part of a joint project with Hampshire County Council.

The borough council says the project will 'make it easier for people without driveways to charge an electric vehicle near their home' as well as support its climate emergency declaration. 

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Basingstoke Gazette: Abbey Road in Popley, Schubert Road in Brighton Hill, and Culver Road in Brookvale and Kings

The charging points, which will be 'quicker and easier' to install than stand-alone units, as they utilise the lamppost's existing power supplies, will be capable of recharging an electric vehicle overnight or during the working day, depending on the vehicle and it's battery capacity.

Blink, an electric vehicle infrastructure company, will operate the chargers available to use through the download of its app.

Cllr Andy Konieczko, cabinet member for strategic planning and infrastructure, said: “I have an ambition for us to be a leader in installing electric vehicle chargers and to see at least one charging point in every ward in our borough within the next 12 months.

"We urgently need to tackle climate change, and I believe that the borough council has to play its role in making that happen. Our funding means extra charging points can now come forward quicker to give more people in Basingstoke and Deane the confidence they need to swap to a zero-emission vehicle as a greener and more sustainable form of transport. 

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“This first phase of on-street chargers is an encouraging start and we recognise that there’s a lot more to do. We’re working with the county council to make sure that this important project maintains its strong momentum and we will also continue with our programme of installing rapid chargers in council-owned car parks.”

Future charging points for the project will be installed in locations with limited off-street parking, within a five-minute walk of homes, and have an existing power supply to connect to, in areas where demand is high, or likely to be high soon, says the borough council.

They added that charging points for recharging electric operational vehicles at its depots will also be funded, as well as opportunities for new chargers at council-owned community centres.