THE Royal Borough Council has been criticised for adding “clutter” to a pavement as it rolls out electric vehicle (EV) charging points.

As part of a pilot scheme that supports the rollout of EVs to reach a lower carbon future, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) is installing 29 fast-charging points across the borough.

The project is being delivered by Connected Kerb, an EV charging station contractor, and is majority funded by the Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles based on a bid that was submitted by the council.

The rollout includes Lower Boyndon Road in Maidenhead where Boyn Hill councillors Gurpreet Bhangra (Con) and Stuart Carroll (Con) tweeted their support of the installation on February 28.

However, it received backlash from opposition councillors and residents, believing it will “clutter” the pavement and cause a risk to people who are visually impaired.

Resident Paul Baker tweeted: “RBWM please do not start installing equipment for EVs on our already cluttered footways. Follow other local authorities’ examples and install it on the carriageway where the vehicles already are.

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“Your attitude to active travel is currently bad enough, don’t make it worse.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Gurch Singh (Lib Dem: St Mary’s) there was ‘no thought or discussion’ regarding the EV charging points.

Councillor Gerry Clark (Con: Bisham & Cookham), cabinet member for transport and infrastructure, said: “The points are being installed at the edge of the footway, similar to how many on-street EV charging points have been installed in locations across the country. Sufficient space has been left for pedestrians to use the pavement unobstructed, including visually or mobility impaired pedestrians and those with buggies, to ensure they can pass safely.

He added: “The design has considered the impacts on protected characteristics to ensure they are not impacted by the proposals. This includes ensuring sufficient clear width on the pavements.

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“In the design and delivery of the project our contractors have to set out the risk assessments and safe working practices in order to receive a permit to work on the highway.”

Cllrs Carroll and Bhangra said there is no direct clutter as officers assured them the design accounts for all protective characteristics and associated considerations.

They said: “Moreover, this is a pilot, and we will be, as indeed we always do across Boyn Hill, listening most attentively to all constructive and insightful feedback from local residents.”