HEREFORDSHIRE Council believes Hereford can set an “international” example in the use of electric cars.

But Jeff Hancorn says there’s some way to go.

Mr Hancorn told the Hereford Times of his tribulations in trying to charge up his own electric car in the city.

By coincidence, the council this week confirmed its intention to bid for national funding that could make Hereford that international electric car example.

Sometime this month, Cllr Paul Rone, the cabinet member for transport and roads, is expected to authorise that bid to the national Office for Low Emission Vehicles.

The bid plugs Hereford into the Go Ultra Low Cities Fund pitching for a share of the £35 million on offer to support ultralow emission vehicles (ULEVs), such as installing charge-points for electric cars and introducing low emission zones.

Up to four cities with the best proposals stand to get a share of the money.

The council says such funding could make Hereford – and subsequently the county – an “international exemplar for electric vehicles.

Mr Hancorn, from Aylestone Hill, would love that to be the case but says such a lofty ambition should start at the beginning.

He went out to charge up his own electric car hoping the accessibility of charging points would reinforce his faith in the cars he’s sure future visitors to the city will need.

That faith fell flat as Mr Hancorn found: l Driving into Venn Street car park to find the two charging points “virtually hidden” in the far corner, poorly signposted and difficult to reverse into with one bay taken up by a petrol vehicle.

l Narrow lanes and 90 degree bends too tight to take his 15ft vehicle and “hard to find” charging points on an upper level of the recently refurbished Widemarsh multi-storey.

But worst was saved for last with no electric car charging spaces at all on the Old Market development.

“Unbelievable, all that money spent and no charging points,” says Mr Hancorn.

His last chance was the car park off St Martin’s Avenue. There, he again found a petrol car in one bay and a charged electric car in the other.

“So, if you wish to visit Hereford by electric car make sure you have enough charge to get home,” says Mr Hancorn.

Cities shortlisted for the Go Ultra Low funding will be invited to submit final bids by end of August with the winner announced in autumn.

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