A LUDLOW environmental group has dismissed claims by residents that they were not consulted over plans to install electric vehicle charging points in the street where they live.

“The residents of Mill St are furious that this is happening and over 40 residents attended a council meeting to demand a review on this decision , but have since been told by the Mayor of Ludlow Robin Pote that this is not Town Council business and we must deal direct with Shropshire Council,” said John Diamond, who lives in Mill Street.

Vivienne Parry, Shropshire Councillor for Ludlow south, also says that residents were not directly consulted.

Mrs Parry said that her understanding is that there was a general survey into the question of electric vehicle charging points but that the people living where is was planned to install them should be asked.

She said that it is important to find a location that does not inconvenience local residents.

But David Currant of the Environmental Group Ludlow 21 says there has been consultation.

“There have been two consultations about EV chargers,” said Mr Currant.

“The first was a general survey for the Community Led Plan circulated in paper form to all residents that the Town Council carried out in 2018 which resulted in a 75per cent of 619 respondents being in favour of more charging facilities for EVs.”

He said that there was a further consultation at the end of last year on the Town Council website, through the press and also in a newsletter from Andy Boddington, Shropshire councillor for Ludlow North.

Mr Current said that this again showed support for electric charging points.

There is a push to increase the number of electric vehicle charging points nationally and locally.

Electric vehicles have limited range and need to be recharged regularly and it is a process that takes much longer than filling up with diesel or petrol.

A full charge from empty to full, even for a small battery can take eight hours. Top up charges of in the order of 30 minutes are possible but reduce battery life