The Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth Decisions meeting on Tuesday 28 October 2025 discussed the rollout of electric vehicle (EV) charging points and a petition regarding safety measures at Cobham Free Junior School. No definitive decisions were made on the EV charging points, with a commitment to provide further cost information. However, the council agreed to review road safety measures at Cobham Free Junior School and explore alternative proposals to the installation of bollards.

Electric Vehicle Charging Points

Councillor Powell raised concerns about the pace of the rollout of electric vehicle (EV) charging points across Surrey, highlighting the growing demand from the car industry. He suggested that low-power lamp column chargers, which are quicker and easier to install, should be made the standard on-street charging points. Councillor Jonathan Lord, Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth, responded that the current plan is to use a mix of charging point types, including seven-kilowatt chargers and lamp column chargers. He explained that lamp column chargers are restricted to locations with suitable lamp columns and that their lower power output (three kilowatts) results in a longer charging duration. Councillor Lord stated that a mix of charging options is considered the best approach for residents, with seven-kilowatt chargers providing a good standard charge, supplemented by lamp column chargers. Councillor Powell then requested a comparison of the relative costs of installing lamp column chargers versus seven-kilowatt chargers, particularly for four or six-bay locations, which he noted are not feasible in many parts of Surrey, especially hilly areas. Councillor Lord agreed to provide this information outside of the meeting.

Safety Measures at Cobham Free Junior School

The meeting addressed a petition from Theresa Preston, representing parents of Cobham Free Junior School, requesting the installation of bollards to enhance safety. Ms. Preston expressed concerns about the lack of protection for the school's playground, which is located near a busy road. She highlighted that cars approach the school at high speed from a hill and that the playground is only separated from the road by a wooden fence. Ms. Preston referenced a tragic accident at a Wimbledon private school in 2023, where two children died after a car crossed a fence and entered the playground. She argued that crash bollards would prevent similar incidents and also protect children and parents walking on the pavement in front of the school.

Anne-Marie Hannam, Principal Traffic and Commissioning Engineer, acknowledged the concerns, particularly in light of the Wimbledon incident. However, she explained that the council has many schools that would request similar safety systems, which is why such measures are typically reserved for high-speed roads and vehicle restraint systems are used rather than bollards. Ms. Hannam stated that the council's policy is to focus funding on areas where collisions are most frequent, which are often on the public highway and involve children crossing roads. She confirmed that while the council has a policy for road safety outside schools, they do not currently install bollards outside them.

In response to a question about when the school was last assessed for road safety, Ms. Hannam indicated it would have been recently, given the recent pavement widening works. She agreed to ask road safety engineers to conduct another assessment and explore alternative proposals to the bollard installation.