Electric car charging station refused planning permission as locals fear it would become a hotspot for crime, sex work and doggers

An electric charging station will not be built on the side of the A1 in Lincolnshire amid fears it would become a hotspot for crime, sex work and tailgating.

Osprey Charging wanted to build 16 fast charging points along the highway on a piece of land south of Tinwell Road, in Stamford.

But the application sparked a flood of objections from locals, who feared the unmanned station would be a magnet for crime and sex workers.

South Kesteven District Council scrapped the plans earlier this month with the decision notice sent to Osprey Charging this week, citing the 'loss of agricultural land and damage to the area's visual amenity'.

It was also stated that 'the isolated nature of the location has the potential to lead to crime and fear of crime'.

Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging, said it would take no more than 15 minutes for the ultra-fast chargers to fully power electric cars.

The blueprints on the council's website attracted a total of 30 objections, with councilor Richard Cleaver telling a planning committee meeting on December 7 that this was the most objections he had received from residents during his time as a councillor.

'I believe the problem is the nature of the site, the fact that it is discreetly tucked away, the fact that there is good vehicular access… it is close to the A1 and it fuels, understandably among residents, the making it a magnet for antisocial behavior, people driving in and doing things they shouldn't do and then driving away, basically.'

Planning committee vice-chairwoman Charmaine Morgan expressed concern that staff would not be present, saying she was “aware through local knowledge of sexual services offered along the road”.

“Surveillance cameras, I'm sorry they're remote and not immediately present,” she said.

'What has also not been mentioned is safety. As a woman I would be really worried if I was stuck there for 30 minutes while my car was charging in the evening or overnight

'I think if we do this, it has to be done well and there has to be staff present. I suspect it's about profitability and there's no plan to put staff there.

'There is also talk of toilet management and possible misuse of toilets in a public domain that is not actually directly supervised and where you cannot install CCTV cameras.'

Planning committee vice-chairwoman Charmaine Morgan expressed concern that there would be no staff, saying she was 'aware through local knowledge of sexual services offered along the road'

One objector feared the “poorly lit, isolated, unmanned area will be a hotbed for all kinds of crime and misconduct.” I would not like it if my wife used such a facility'

Stuart Bremner, a member of the Tinwell Rd Residents group, said locals were particularly concerned about anti-social behaviour, 'particularly after dark' with fears of 'banging car doors, loud music and unwanted behavior in an unmanned toilet block'.

Colin Medwynter, of Tinwell Road, Stamford, was among those who wrote objecting to the plans.

He said: 'A poorly lit, isolated, unmanned area will be a hotbed for all kinds of crime and misconduct. I wouldn't feel comfortable with my wife using such a facility, would you?

'Where you can't actually be seen or heard while you're being attacked or sexually assaulted, it's ridiculous that they would even consider such a location purely on health and safety grounds.'

But Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging, said it would take no more than 15 minutes for the ultra-fast chargers to fully power electric cars. The times.

He added: 'Anti-social behavior is a national problem, whether you are on a greenfield or brownfield site.'

Osprey currently has 800 charging points in the UK and expects this to reach 1,000 by the end of the year.

MailOnline has contacted Osprey Charging for comment.