Two electric vehicle chargepoints have been proposed for Kington but local councillors warn it will have a major impact on residents.

The chargers and feeder pillar are proposed for Common Close, at the corner near the Garth Residential Home.

Herefordshire Council recently wrote to the town council and said it is part of the LEVI pilot project and it has been provisionally approved by officers internally.

The chargepoints would be installed within existing parking bays and there will be hatching between bays to make the charging point more accessible and to keep the pavement clear.

Highways have been consulted on the design and will be checking the installation as part of the permitting for the site.

Herefordshire Council said the proposed infrastructure is designed to be as unobtrusive as possible and there are no plans to impose any parking restrictions in the near term.

A spokesperson said: “While we anticipate usage may be low in the early years, it will help to give confidence to people who are thinking of making the switch to an electric vehicle that they will be able to charge it.

“As we progress towards the Government’s target of no new petrol or diesel vehicles to e sold after 2035, the importance of a robust public EV charging infrastructure will become essential and the council has a key role in providing this.

“The proposed chargers will be 7kW low power units which are idea for residents with no off-street parking as they provide enough power to give a full charge overnight for most cars and a top up charge for cars parked for a few hours during the day.”

But Deputy Mayor Councillor Martin Woolford said: “I don’t know what the take up of electric vehicles is in Kington but this will take out three or four parking spaces. That will have a considerable effect on residents in the area.”

Councillor Bob Widdowson agreed and said: “It will have a serious impact, it may seem minor but it will be major.”

Members noted the proposal to install electric vehicle chargepoints in Kington