An application to build an electric charging station beside the A1 in Lincolnshire has been rejected due to concerns about potential illicit activities such as sex work and dogging.
Osprey Charging had proposed constructing 16 rapid charging points near Tinwell Road in Stamford. However, locals strongly objected, fearing that the unattended station would attract crime and sex workers to the area.
South Kesteven District Council denied the plans, citing the loss of agricultural land and visual harm to the area. They highlighted the risk of crime, particularly due to the site's isolated nature.
The council received 30 objections, with Councillor Richard Cleaver expressing unprecedented concern about the site's discreet and accessible location close to the A1. He emphasized residents' worries about antisocial behavior and unauthorized activities occurring and then swiftly disappearing.
Vice-chairman Charmaine Morgan raised issues about the lack of staff at the station, mentioning concerns about sex work along the roadside. She criticized the remote nature of CCTV cameras and highlighted safety risks, particularly for women, while waiting for their cars to charge.
Residents, such as Stuart Bremner and Colin Medwynter, voiced apprehensions about potential criminal activities in an unstaffed, dimly lit area, expressing discomfort about using such facilities, especially during the evening or night.
Osprey Charging's CEO, Ian Johnston, defended the proposal, asserting that the charging process would be swift, taking only 15 minutes, and claimed that antisocial behavior is a nationwide issue irrespective of the location's nature.
Despite Osprey's plans for extensive charging infrastructure across the UK, the concerns regarding safety, crime, and sex work at the proposed site led to the rejection of the project.