The government has announced that sales of new petrol and diesel cars will end by 2030.
The council supports the move towards cleaner-emission vehicles as part of the wider aim to tackle climate change. So far, we have:
- added electric vehicles (EVs) to our own fleet
- installed 20 fast charging points in Bracknell town centre car parks
- installed 38 charge points in 14 community car parks across the borough
- updated our planning and parking policies so that EV charging capability must feature in new residential and non-residential developments
We are also working with the private sector to increase charging opportunities at strategic locations. This includes businesses, retail parks, neighbourhood shopping centres, community hubs, libraries and leisure destinations.
We want to accommodate charge-points on our land where it can be done at little or no cost to the public.
Charging points
Find your nearest charge point
The number of charge points is constantly growing.
Check Zap Map to find a charge point
There are electric vehicle charging points in the following free to use council owned car parks:
| Car park | Number of points | Charge rate | Supplier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Road, RG12 2NR | 2 | 22kw | Joju / Mer |
| Birch Hill shops, Leppington car park, RG12 7LG | 6 | 22kw | Joju / Mer |
| Bywood, Hanworth, RG12 7RF | 2 | 22kw | Joju / Mer |
| Cross Fell, Wildridings, RG12 7RX | 2 | 22kw | Joju / Mer |
| Crown Wood shops, RG12 0PE | 4 | 22kw | Joju / Mer |
| Forest Park shops, RG12 0XQ | 2 | 22kw | Joju / Mer |
| Great Hollands shops, Wordsworth car park, RG12 8UX | 6 | 22kw | Joju / Mer |
| Great Hollands shops, Wordsworth car park, RG12 8UX | 2 | 75kw | Scheduled to be installed July 2023 |
| Harmans Water shops, RG12 9LP | 2 | 22kw | Joju / Mer |
| Lily Hill Park, RG12 2RX | 2 | 7kw | Plug-N-Go |
| Priestwood Community Centre, RG42 1TU | 2 | 22kw | Joju / Mer |
| The Broadway, Sandhurst, GU47 9BL | 2 | 22kw | Joju / Mer |
| Westmorland Park, RG42 3QP | 2 | 7kw | Pod Point |
| Yeovil Road shops, GU47 0TF | 2 | 22kw | Joju / Mer |
There are also chargers in following Bracknell town centre car parks (BP Pulse 7kw):
- The Avenue
- High Street
- Braccan Walk
Future charge-point network
Charging technology is progressing quickly so we want to make sure we get the best charging solution for the borough. When making decisions, we carefully consider the social, financial and technical implications.
We are working to facilitate the delivery of more fast, rapid and ultra-rapid charge points across the borough. We aim to achieve this by partnering with the private sector and using government funded initiatives.
Approval has been given for rapid and ultra-rapid charge points to be installed at a number of petrol stations in the borough. We are also exploring opportunities for rapid charge points as part of major new commercial developments.
Lamp post charge points
Existing electrical cabling in many of our streets does not support a comprehensive street-charging system. In addition, many residential road layouts in the borough are not suitable for on-street charging. Its introduction could worsen existing parking problems and trailing cables would obstruct pedestrians.
Our strategy below provides information about charging and our approach to charging opportunities.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
Document
Electric vehicle charging strategy
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2 MB |
Tell us about your charging requirements
We are currently collecting information to help inform future policy. This is so that we can help meet the charging needs of our residents in the future.
Installation of private charge points
You do not need planning permission to install a charge point as long as you own the property and land that it is on.
If you live in a flat
If you have an allocated parking space, you may be able to get a charge point installer to run cabling back to your fuseboard.
However, this will depend on factors such as:
- cabling distance
- if digging is required
- if the cable needs to run across another flat owner’s property
Where relevant, you need the permission of the freeholder. For flats where parking is not allocated, it may be easier to ask the freeholder to install a communal charge point.
If your allocated space or garage does not have power
If the cabling distance is reasonable, an electrical contractor may be able to run cabling from your fuseboard to the garage or space. If the distance to the garage or space is long, it may be possible to request a new electrical connection from the local network operator. For most of Bracknell Forest this is SSE.
Connection depends on the distance to the nearest existing suitable underground cabling. You are responsible for all fees and will be billed separately to your existing domestic supply.
If you live in a rented property
Speak to your landlord if you live in a rented property and want to have a charge point installed. For most council properties, Silva Homes are responsible.
Trailing cables from a property over a footway
This is a complex area. For more detail refer to Annex A of the EV Charging Strategy.
Cable gullies
Cable gullies are being tested at several locations in England. We are waiting to see the outcome of these trials before deciding on whether they are appropriate in our borough.
Help for those without home charging facilities
We have used a government grant to install 38 public chargers in 14 of our community car parks, and will be working with private sector partners to install more between now and 2025. These are to help residents where a lack of off-street parking is an issue.
Anyone can use these bays but residents can benefit by charging their vehicles overnight.
All new developments are required to include charge points for individual properties and flats.