Oldham is one of only seven areas in the UK where public electric vehicle charging point numbers have fallen in the last two years, new figures have revealed.

It comes as a Freedom of Information Request has shown that Oldham Council has purchased no more electric vehicles for its fleet since it bought 10 over seven years ago.

The Government is aiming to entirely phase out petrol and diesel-powered cars by 2030.

But with battery electric vehicles planned to account for all car sales by 2035, it has faced criticism from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, which says there are not enough charging points for many people to purchase electric vehicles.

Department for Transport (DfT) figures show there were 34 publicly provided charging points in Oldham on January 1 – down from 38 two years ago.

Across Greater Manchester, there are 473 publicly provided charging points, up from 465 two years ago.

Responding to The Oldham Times, Megan Black, head of logistics and environment at Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), which coordinates public EV charging in Greater Manchester, said: “Supporting the switch to electric vehicles is a crucial part of Greater Manchester’s ambition to be carbon-neutral by 2038.

“Our Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy, developed in partnership with the 10 local authorities, sets out a clear plan for the rollout of charging points across the city-region.

“At the end of September 2020, 118 fast-charging devices (7kW) were replaced with newer, more reliable charging infrastructure, the old unit at Derker Park & Ride was decommissioned due to low utilisation.

“We are working closely with Oldham Council to explore opportunities for new private and publicly funded charging infrastructure points across the district including at park and ride sites.”

When asked for comment, Oldham Council directed The Oldham Times to TfGM.

Oldham’s charging points are among 28,375 installed across the UK at the start of this year, up from 16,505 in January 2020.

Oldham residents had also installed 463 at-home charging points through the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme as of January 1 – a 179 per cent increase over the last two years, further DfT figures outline.

Greater Manchester has seen a similar increase – 8,332 at-home charging points have been installed through the scheme, a 184 per cent increase over the last two years.

The scheme gives applicants a 75 per cent grant towards the cost of installing the charging point up to £350.

There have also been 82 charging points installed at workplaces in Oldham. Across Greater Manchester, this figure sits at 1,024.

But with residents requiring “designated, private off-street parking” for the Homecharge Scheme, the SMMT has argued for more investment for those who only have on-street parking available.

Across the North West, 107 charging points have been fitted as a part of the On-Street Residential Scheme, to which local authorities can apply to fund installations.

A further 59 applications have been approved since April 2019, but installation remains incomplete.

On April 22, events are taking place around the world for Earth Day 2022, with a focus on encouraging businesses, including in the motoring sector, to invest in sustainable products and enterprises.

Separate figures from the SMMT show there are now more than 460,000 battery-electric cars in the UK, more than double the number two years before.

On average, an electric car will emit around one-third less carbon dioxide than an equivalent petrol or diesel car, Transport & Environment, a European clean transport campaign group, says.

But a lack of charging points is putting people off from switching, SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes argues.

“The automotive industry is up for the challenge of a zero-emission new car and van market by 2035,” said Mr Hawes.

“Delivering this ambition needs more than automotive investment; it needs the commensurate commitment of all other stakeholders, especially the charging industry.”

The Government announced major investment plans in charging infrastructure last month, totalling £1.6 billion across a range of schemes.

They include the already announced £950 million Rapid Charging Fund, to install more than 6,000 rapid chargers on England's motorways, and a £450 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure fund to address the shortfall of local charging points.

By 2030, the Government aims to provide 300,000 public charging points, 18 times the number a decade previously.