A consultation is set to begin on a £235,000 project to install electric car charging points across Havering.

The council's highways advisory committee last night (March 8) voted to move to consultation on an electric vehicle charging point programme for the borough.

Under the plans, 68 charging points would be installed across 12 locations, including eight each at Hilldene Avenue in Harold Hill and Station Parade and Tadworth Parade, both in Elm Park.

The scheme will primarily be financed by the government-funded Office of Zero Emissions Vehicles (£176,000), with the rest (£59,000) to be paid by the appointed charge point operator.

During the meeting, the council’s transport planning officer, Daniel Douglas, outlined the case for an investment in electric vehicle charging points throughout Havering.

“There is charging infrastructure in some developments, in a lot of supermarkets, in some of our railway stations, but in terms of fully-accessible charging infrastructure, that’s currently limited," he said.

With Transport for London (TfL) predicting electric vehicle ownership in Havering will increase from around 600 currently to roughly 2,500 by 2025, Mr Douglas said the programme is intending to “get ahead of the game”.

He added that it also aligns with national and local environmental policy, including Havering Council's climate change action plan.

Formal consultation is due to begin on April 1 and will run until April 21.