'Parking Mad', Hundreds Object to Plans for EV Charging Station at Popular Shopping Precinct...

The car park at Fens Shops where the plans for a new EV Charging Station have been proposed...

Nearly 200 local residents object to proposals for the construction of a new EV charging station in a busy shopping precinct with some locals branding the plans as 'barmy'....

18th Feb 2025

Controversial plans to remove 23 standard parking spaces at a busy shopping precinct to make way for a new electric vehicle (EV) charging station have sparked a major backlash from the local community, where HBC exposed understands nearly 200 formal objections have now been recieved to the local council, leading to the plans now having to be brought before the council’s planning committee for a final decision.

HBC Exposed reported on the plans only last month

Back in January, HBC Exposed exclusively reported on the submission of the plans by JMS Planning & Development Ltd, acting on behalf of SWARCO Smart Charging Ltd. The proposals aim to install 14 EV charging stations in the Fens Shops car park, situated near the junction of Truro Drive.

However, opposition to the project has surged, with many local businesses and residents voicing strong concerns about the impact on parking availability, as well as fears that the loss of 23 standard car parking spaces will drive even more customers away, potentially harming their livelihoods.

According to the planning statement, the proposed site serves a variety of retail stores and is a key hub for local shoppers. If approved, the development would introduce 14 dedicated EV charging bays, available 24/7—a move that the applicants claim argue would help modernise the town’s limited EV infrastructure.

But, the plans have been met with fierce backlash by locals, who claim the car park has already been a source of contention both with local motorists and business owners complaining about recently introduced parking charges. These charges, they claim, have significantly impacted trade, whilst some drivers have also reported receiving penalty notices due to confusion over the new parking rules.

Even some EV owners claim they'll never be used....

Public EV Charging can range from as little as 40p per kwh all the way to 90p per kwh, not adding any additional parking fees on top, making some public chargers expensive & inaccessible to those seeking a cheap charging top up for their vehicle.

Additionally, some EV owners themselves have poured scorn on the plans, claiming the proposed installation of the EV charging stations, in addition to the car parking charges for the shipping precinct itself will make the chargers "unaffordable", & that other cheaper public chargers are available in other areas where free parking is available, leading to claims that even if the plans were approved, they's likely never be used anyway only causing more congestion for drivers.

Council planning chiefs were expected to make a decision on the proposals by March 2025. However, due to the sheer number of objections, the matter will now be put to the councils planning committee in the not too distant future, where councillors will likely have the final say.

Will the EV charging station get the green light, or will councillors side with the objectors?

That decision now looks to be in the hands of the council .