A motorway service station near Stansted, bollards and high curbs to separate electric vehicle (EV) charging points from their parking bays are causing obstructions to disabled users.

A report published in August by disability charities Designability and Motability found “very few” accessible charging points currently exist in the UK, the main issues involve a lack of space.

In regular bays disabled drivers cannot get out of their cars to use the chargers, cables are too heavy and high curbs or have controls are too high up to use.

According to Motability, by 2035 up to 1.35million disabled people will be reliant on public charging infrastructure that has not been designed with their needs in mind.

Kevin Ogilvie, a wheelchair user who commutes into Essex for work, said: “It’s quite difficult to either park into a bay where there are normal car park spaces, because there’s not enough room for me to obviously open my door, to get round the back of the car.”

Essex County Council is recruiting for a new position to develop a county-wide EV strategy- to help with accessibility.

A county council spokesperson said: “The issue of EV provision for individuals with disabilities and the general public is an issue that ECC is aware of.

“We are currently recruiting for a new position to look at the development of an EV strategy which would encompass access to chargers, driveways and parking standards as part of their remit so that we can start to develop the infrastructure that we need across the county.

“As part of this we would work with local access groups and residents to understand the issues which concern them.”

In November 2020, Boris Johnson announced £1.3billion would be spent on EV charging infrastructure to meet the 2030 deadline.

But despite orders coming from the top, the process of granting planning permission for new charging points appears to lack a consistent, centralised direction, which could be contributing to an oversight on disability.

For example, Designability’s report found the cost per unit for electricity changed between different areas, local authorities and providers, adding more confusion and therefore more barriers to potential drivers of electric vehicles.