Plans to introduce parking bays designated exclusively for electric vehicles are facing opposition as Oxfordshire County Council prepares to vote on installing 1,500 public charging points across the region.

Transport lead Gareth Epps faces a decision on Thursday regarding the creation of on-street electric vehicle charging bays at 16 sites throughout the county.

The initiative forms part of a government-backed £4 million programme aimed at establishing publicly accessible charging infrastructure in both street locations and municipal car parks by mid-2028.

The proposed sites span multiple towns and villages, including areas within Oxford itself along with Cowley, Cutteslowe, Berinsfield, Burford, Deddington, Kidlington, the Henley-on-Thames vicinity, Bampton, Shrivenham, and Headington.

These dedicated spaces would replace existing general parking provisions currently available to all vehicle types.

The consultation process revealed substantial public resistance, with every location generating considerably more negative responses than expressions of approval.

Proposals in Carterton and Eynsham were ultimately abandoned following what council documents described as a substantial volume of objections and unfavourable feedback, with officials noting that such installations would not receive community acceptance and were unlikely to achieve meaningful usage.

The Bampton Market Square initiative attracted particular scrutiny, drawing 355 formal objections against merely 24 expressions of support.

Subsequent modifications were subsequently made to that particular scheme.

West Oxfordshire councillor and Conservative opposition leader at county level Liam Walker acknowledged the necessity of developing electric vehicle charging infrastructure while emphasising the importance of balancing such development against existing community needs.

Walker pointed to the Bampton situation as an example where reasonable concerns existed regarding parking availability in a location already subject to significant demand.

The Carterton proposal, which suggested installing charging facilities on Hill View despite evident local opposition, was cited as an example of schemes that should not proceed.

Walker urged local authorities to engage meaningfully with residents and position charging facilities in locations where they would serve genuine purpose without unduly diminishing parking capacity.

Concerns have previously been raised by commercial enterprises regarding the removal of parking spaces for various county council initiatives, with traders expressing worry about potential reductions in customer visits.

From the end of the decade, the sale of new vehicles powered by petrol or diesel will cease throughout the United Kingdom.

Council representatives have indicated a desire to facilitate the transition to electric mobility by expanding infrastructure countywide, extending into smaller communities.

The current proposals involve converting specific existing parking bays across various locations for use as electric vehicle charging zones exclusively.

Following assessment of consultation responses, the recommendation is that not all proposed sites should advance at this stage, with a reduction in the total number of bays planned for installation being proposed.

Regarding the Bampton modifications, council representatives confirmed that the quantity of designated charging spaces has been decreased.

The stated objective of the authority is to reconcile the requirement for a publicly available charging network that stimulates electric vehicle adoption with the need to preserve parking opportunities and maintain accessibility to essential local services for residents.