Cumbria is set to receive £1.4m of funding following a successful bid to Department for Transport’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure pilot made by Cumbria County Council, on behalf of the One Public Estate (OPE) partnership last year.
The news means that up to 900 new Electric Vehicle (EV) charge points will be installed across Cumbria and will ensure there is a county wide strategy to meet the needs of Cumbria’s 500,000 residents, noting that a third of them don’t have access to off-street charging. The scheme will also benefit the 47 million people that visit the county each year.
The funding, which is being topped up to by almost £500k by private charge point installers and operators, will allow the partnership to accelerate its commitment to provide better public EV charge point infrastructure, which will encourage Cumbrian residents to switch to EVs and contribute to carbon reduction through cleaner, greener transport.
The scheme will see up to 780, standard 7kw charge points installed within streetlights or new charging bollards on the public highway. This will include some ‘destination chargers’ where limited parking bays would enable charging for multiple users. The remaining 120 charge points, which will also be 7kw, will mostly be in existing local authority owned car parks.
If the UK is to reach its net zero target, we need to radically reduce our use of fossil fuels. In 2020, the Government announced plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. As a result, the number of electric vehicles on our roads is predicted to rise to more than 35 million in the next 30 years.
As more and more people transition towards a greater use of electric vehicles, it’s essential that Cumbria has a robust network of charging points which provide a low carbon transport solution.
Cllr Keith Little, Cumbria County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport said:
"It’s fantastic to play a part in driving forward Cumbria's approach to EV charging infrastructure and I’m delighted that we are working alongside partners with the shared ambition of providing a charge point network that both works for the county as a whole and addresses the unique needs of our area.
“This funding will significantly expand the charge point network and help facilitate the mass uptake of EVs. There has often been the argument that this uptake must wait for the widespread expansion of charging infrastructure. However, acknowledging this ‘cart and horse’ conundrum, this project is about proving that to facilitate change we need a suitably expanding charge point network that paves the way for the future.”
Phil Gray, Project Manager for the EV partnership added:
“What’s particularly impressive about this project is the way the local councils, NHS, police and other public bodies have come together to make sure Cumbria is ahead of the curve in providing accessible charge points for residents, workers and visitors across the whole county.”
The partnership is also holding a free event on 14 March at the Pencil Factory in Keswick offering businesses expert advice from industry leaders on how to reduce costs and reduce carbon emissions. The event, which is being organised in partnership with Electricity North West Ltd, aims to enable local businesses and organisations to make the transition to electric vehicles. Secure a free place at the event via https://goto.penrith.town/leading-the-charge-electrifying-travel-in-cumbria
A wealth of information, advice and signposting for anyone interested in finding out more, including locations of current EV charge points and how to install your own charge point at home or at a place of work are available on https://goto.penrith.town/Cumbria-EV
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