Woman told EV charger would be 'trip hazard'
BBCA woman has criticised a council's "excuses" not to install a charger for electric vehicles (EVs) on her cul-de-sac.
Christine Davies from Whitley, Coventry, started asking the city council in 2024 about putting one in, after four were installed elsewhere on her estate but none towards the end where she lives.
She said the authority first asked if she had electricity in the close. "I was tempted to tell them that no we didn't and I heated my house with candles."
The council said Southport Close where the Davieses live was too narrow, and alternative chargers were available within a few hundred metres.
Coventry City Council said it had so far installed 2,578 public EV chargers, which it claims is the largest public network outside London.
However, Davies said trying to get one installed close to her home, had led to numerous excuses and no charging point.
She said she was told the footpath outside her home was too narrow, but she claimed it was wider than the one at the top of her estate, where others had been installed.
Another reason given was that the lamppost was privately owned, but having checked the serial number, the householder found it was owned by the city council.
Finally, Davies said she was told the charger could be a trip hazard, even though it would be the same type installed in other public places around the city.
"We've been told we could spend £1,600 installing our own charger and that wouldn't be a trip hazard, but I'm not sure how they've come to that conclusion' Davies said.
In a statement, Coventry City Council said "We work closely with residents to accommodate their needs as far as possible. But unfortunately, Southport Close is too narrow to allow installation of the charge points that we have installed elsewhere in the city."
"There are charge points at safe locations elsewhere on the estate around 450 metres from the property."
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