Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy for Bedford Borough 2024 - 2027
Equalities
We are legally obliged to consider the effects of our decisions in respect of the following characteristics:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment
- Pregnancy and maternity
- Race
- Religion or belief
- Sex
- Sexual orientation
- Marriage & civil partnership.
We also have a policy to consider the effects of our decisions in respect of the following additional characteristics:
- Social-economic
- Care experienced young people
- Carers
- Rural residents.
Our draft strategy includes a draft Equality Impact Assessment which gives our analysis so far of the likely effects of our EV charging strategy in respect of any of these characteristics. It has identified potential impacts that include:
- Effects for disabled people, who may find it hard to use some of the chargepoints
- Effects for some older people, who may find some of the technology such as payment apps difficult to use
- Some potential effects in respect of sex, which make it important for sites to be well lit and in safe locations
- Some possible effects in respect of pregnancy and maternity, for instance if cables are heavy and difficult to lift or manipulate
- Some possible effects in respect of race, as people from minority groups are more likely not to have English as a first language, so information provided at chargepoints must be accessible to them
- Some possible effects in respect of social-economic status and rural communities, due to the current high up-front prices of EVs and commercial considerations for chargepoints in smaller villages.
You can read the full draft Equality Impact Assessment.