Plans for an electric vehicle charging hyperhub in York city centre have been delayed after concerns were raised about the impact on disabled drivers.
City of York Council applied to build four ultra-rapid and four rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Union Terrace car park, close to the entrance in Clarence Street.
It would involve moving existing blue badge spaces further away from the exit, which concerned councillors on a planning committee.
The proposal would not see a reduction in the number of spaces, but people would have to walk 50-55 metres further if heading south towards Gillygate.
Cllr Pete Kilbane said: “You will automatically get a blue badge if you are unable to walk further than 50 metres and you’re in receipt of PIP (personal independence payment), so it would seem to me quite perverse for us to approve an application that increased the distance the blue badge holders have to walk by 50 metres.”
Cllr Rachel Melly added: “It seems to be a reduction in pedestrian safety and a reduction in accessibility.”
Stuart Andrews, the council’s smart transport project manager, said an alternative design for the hyperhub could see up to 20-30 car parking spaces lost elsewhere in the car park.
He added: “We’re keeping the same number of spaces but we’re now adding the provision of disabled access EV charging which is not available and is in a shocking state commercially across York and the country, and the hyperhub itself has been designed to be disabled accessible.
“In terms of just moving the bays, there is an impact to disabled drivers, but if you take the project as a whole there’s a net positive impact for disabled drivers, particularly in seven to eight years when all motability cars will be EV.”
Cllr Simon Daubeney said: “I think we should ask officers to find the shortest possible route there is for [disabled] drivers to take to leave the car park – it’s that simple.”
Councillors were divided over whether to defer or refuse the application, but a vote to defer was won after being proposed by committee chair Cllr Andrew Hollyer.
The council’s hyperhubs in the park and rides at Poppleton Bar and Monks Cross opened earlier this year.
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