Funding to help deliver Staffordshire’s future electric vehicle charging network welcomed

Funding worth more than £5 million to help deliver a plan for the county’s future electric vehicle charging network has been welcomed by the county council.

Simon Tagg, Cabinet Member for environment, infrastructure and climate change at Staffordshire County Council explained that the offer of funding was welcome and the council was looking forward to submitting a business case so it can get on with delivering the plan.

The grant is part of the Department for Transport’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund. It aims to help local councils scale up the delivery of local charge points, allowing more residents, especially those without off street parking, to switch to EVs.

To access the funding the council will now work with its district and borough colleagues and key partners to develop a detailed business plan for submission before the application window ends in December 2023.

Simon added: “The country is already embarking on the transition away from carbon fuels with the rollout of electric vehicles, the government’s chosen route. This funding is good news in terms of our combined efforts to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality.

“It’s vital that we have the right infrastructure in place across the county to support the anticipated growth in electric car usage. We have an important role to play in this and we are working with our district and borough colleagues in an enabling role, as it’s the private sector who will be leading on the delivery of electric charging infrastructure across Staffordshire.”

The county council set out its plans in January 2022 on how it will meet the needs of communities and businesses as electric vehicle use continues to increase.

People can read more about the plan at https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Transport/Sustainable-travel/Electric-vehicles/Electric-vehicles.aspx