Plans to install electric vehicle charging points in every Wandsworth street have received the green light from councillors.

The community services committee has endorsed proposals, with the objective now to assess options ahead of a large-scale expansion of the points in the borough.

Wandsworth currently has 35 charging points in 11 locations, with ambitions to add another 50 in 20 more places by the turn of the year.

Councillors at the meeting on November 16 voted for Paul Chadwick, director of environment and community services, to develop the strategy further.

Cllr Jonathan Cook, cabinet member for community services, said: “The future of motoring is electric. The Government has announced that in 2040 petrol and diesel vehicles will no longer be sold in the UK.

“This means that councils need to start planning ahead now to make sure we deliver the infrastructure to keep people moving. Nowhere is this more relevant than here in inner London where air quality is a real concern.

“Providing convenient charging is the key. We need to make it easy for people to go electric.”

The council says lamp post charging will have ‘no impact’ on existing parking provision in the borough.

Cllr Fleur Anderson, Labour’s speaker on community services, said: “We take climate change extremely seriously and are entirely supportive of all efforts to promote cleaner transport.

“We'd like Wandsworth to go much further and emulate nearby Labour-run Hammersmith [and Fulham] borough by installing the most electric car charging bays in the country and introducing free electric car clubs for residents.”

Mr Cook added that the council will be designing a ‘series of options to dramatically increase and improve coverage access across the entire borough’, with a view to implement it into as many lamp posts as possible.