Kerbside charging points are to be introduced in Rectory Road.  Sutton is working with Siemens to install around 100 Ubitricity lamp column electric vehicle charging points this year.  Rectory Road is in the first batch, with Collingwood Road in the second.

Lamp column charging gives you the ability to easily charge electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles on the street where you live, and is aimed at streets without off-street parking.

These will be a new feature for Sutton, but are becoming commonplace on residential roads in other London boroughs and the numbers are increasing rapidly each year. 

Locations have been determined using requests from surveys undertaken in the last two years, and recent request made to the Council.

Not all lamp columns are suitable for lamp column charging points. The lamp columns need to be electrically suitable, be positioned near the kerb and have enough internal space to fit the charging point and be sensibly located so that a vehicle could safely park and charge next to the lamp column. The lamp columns also need to be made of metal, not concrete. 

This means that charging points may be put in a lamp column a little distance away from a request, as there will be situations where the nearest lamp columns may not be suitable. 

An earth mat, a small metal grid, is also installed in the footway next to the lamp column. This is to make the charging point electrically safe if there is a fault.

The Council does not intend to change the parking next to the lamp column charging points. Any current parking restrictions will apply and be unaffected by the charging point.  Signage will indicate that the specific lamp column has a charging point fitted, but this will not prevent non-electric or non-plug-in hybrid vehicles from parking next to the lamp column. 

Specific questions and answers on the Ubitricity charging point can be found on their website:

Guidance on how to use the charging points: 

If you want to request a charging point in your road contact [email protected]