Westmorland & Furness Council has taken a major step towards a cleaner, greener transport future with the approval of an Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy. Meeting today (Tuesday 22nd April) in Alston, the Council’s Cabinet members backed a plan to invest millions of pounds into charging infrastructure across the district, with two major concession contracts worth up to £3.8 million due to be awarded by the council. These tenders will support the installation of new on-street and car park chargepoints, paving the way for a reliable and accessible network across Westmorland and Furness.
This decision builds on earlier approval of Part One of the councils Strategy last November, which set out the case for action. With the national ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles approaching in 2030 and hybrid vehicles following in 2035 the Council is now focused on how it can help residents, visitors and businesses make the switch to electric.
A key aim of the councils plan is to tackle the charging challenges faced by households without off-street parking. Around 30% of homes in Westmorland and Furness don’t have access to a private driveway or garage, yet just 12% of residents currently live within a five-minute walk of a public chargepoint. That leaves more than 30,000 households without easy access to charging—something the Council is planning to change.
To bridge this gap, the Council will draw on funding from the government’s £343 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, with £3.9 million already allocated to Westmorland & Furness. This will be used to support the rollout of various types of chargepoints, from bollards and lamppost-based chargers on residential streets, to larger installations in public car parks.
The two new contracts will see private chargepoint operators take on the responsibility of building and managing the infrastructure. Under the concession model, these operators will invest their own capital and handle all ongoing operational and maintenance costs for at least 15 years. This will allow the Council to unlock investment while reducing its own financial and operational risks.
At present, there are 336 publicly accessible chargepoints in the area, including 65 on Council property. But only 39 of those are directly owned and operated by the Council, and many are outdated or unevenly spread across the council district. According to the Strategy, Westmorland and Furness will need at least 1,860 chargepoints by 2030 and nearly double that by 2035 to keep up with demand.
To meet this need, the Council will work closely with Town and Parish Councils, community groups, and organisations like the National Trust and Lake District National Park to identify suitable sites, especially in rural and remote areas where private sector investment might otherwise be limited.
Several clear targets have been set as part of the Strategy. These include installing at least 1,548 new chargepoint sockets by 2030, ensuring that 60% of homes without off-street parking are within a three-minute walk of a charger, and fitting EV charging into every Council-run car park. The Council will also host an annual EV open day to give residents and businesses a chance to explore electric vehicles and learn more about the infrastructure being rolled out.
The investment is closely tied to the Council’s wider ambitions around climate, communities, and economic development. Reducing transport-related emissions is a key part of its Climate Action Plan, with transport accounting for over a quarter of emissions from residents and the vast majority from visitors.
The Strategy has been shaped by public input, with 835 responses to a consultation the council carried out earlier this year. Among the responses 378 people said they would consider buying an electric vehicle within three years if local charging was made more accessible the council have said this is evidence that infrastructure is a crucial factor in driving uptake.
New on-street charging bays will be created and marked out, although formal parking restrictions will not be enforced at first. The Council says it will monitor usage and may introduce restrictions in high-demand areas where needed.
Cabinet members agreed that without this strategy, the area risks falling behind as more people make the move to electric vehicles.
Councillor Peter Thornton, Westmorland and Furness Council Cabinet Member for Highways and ICT, said:
“Expanding our EV infrastructure is essential for ensuring that our roads and transport network are fit and robust for the future. By providing more charging points in key locations, we can support residents and businesses in making the switch to electric vehicles with confidence, while also improving connectivity across Westmorland and Furness.
“We are committed to working closely with local stakeholders, businesses, and community groups to ensure the roll-out of the expanded EV network meets the needs of everyone.”
Councillor Giles Archibald, Westmorland and Furness Council Cabinet Member for Climate, Biodiversity and Environmental Services, added:
“Reducing carbon emissions from transport is a fundamental part of our strategy to tackle climate change. The expansion of EV charging infrastructure will play a key role in helping us achieve our environmental ambitions - creating cleaner air for our communities, making sustainable travel a practical choice for everyone, and strengthening our position as a forward-thinking, environmentally responsible area.
“The ambitious targets we’ve set are an important benchmark of progress and reflect our determination not only to support residents and businesses in making the switch to electric vehicles but also be at the forefront of innovation in the transition to a low-carbon future.”
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