Barking and Dagenham is set to see 250 electric vehicle charging points installed by the end of this year in a pilot scheme.

Cabinet members are recommended to approve the delivery of the new points at their next meeting.

A council report said the borough only has 62 public charging pillars, one of the lowest numbers in London.

It says the council is planning an "innovative package" that will see Connected Kerb deliver the charging points, which will be fitted with air quality sensors to track pollutant emissions and to provide neutral hosting for 5G.

"If Barking and Dagenham is to transition to a low-carbon, clean growth borough to meet its 2030 and 2050 carbon reduction targets and address issues of poor air quality caused by nitrous oxides from car emissions, the council must improve resident and business appetite in electric vehicles, stimulate demand and provide the appropriate infrastructure."

The cost of installing the new charging points is estimated to be £1.2million, the council said.

It is hoping to secure a £900,000 grant from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles and £300,000 will be financed by Connected Kerb.

Connected Kerb will take on the operational costs, the council said, with the contract expected to be for 15 to 20 years.

Barking and Dagenham is an Air Quality Management Area, with the report adding that parts of the borough have "unacceptable" nitrogen dioxide emission levels.

"In the post-Covid world, the transition to electric and low emission vehicles will become an ever greater part of the strategy to improve air quality and curb carbon emissions," it said.

As well as the 250 charge points earmarked by the end of this year, Barking and Dagenham is likely to see an increase of more than 2,000 by 2026, according to the report.

The council admitted it is "not primed" to meet the increased shift to low emission transport set to be brought about by the government's plans to stop making petrol and diesel engine vehicles by 2030.

Around 200 residents responded to a survey on electric vehicles last January, with 64 per cent saying they would be more likely to buy an electric vehicle if the borough had more charging points by the end of 2022.

Cabinet will consider the report's recommendations at the meeting on Tuesday (January 18).