Residents to get greater access to EV charging points

18 March 2024

Cheshire East residents without off-street parking will have greater access to electric vehicle charging points from next year, following a funding boost of more than £2.17m.

Cheshire East Council has been awarded funding from the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, which supports local authorities in England to plan and deliver charging infrastructure for residents without off-street parking.

The council currently expects to start installing new charging points – in both urban and more rural areas of the borough – in 2025.

Tom Moody, director of infrastructure and highways at Cheshire East Council, said: “Our EV charging infrastructure strategy, adopted in July last year, recognises that the lack of off-street parking at many properties in Cheshire East means the availability of home charging points is a potential barrier to some people switching to an electric vehicle. 

“We’re committed to doing whatever we can to support more people to go electric.“Our strategy identifies the need for 1,300 public charge points across the borough by 2030 to meet increasing demands. This grant from the LEVI Fund will allow us to develop a public EV charging network for our residents and to greatly improve the provision across the borough.”

The council’s approach to help people to ‘go electric’ is part of an integrated transport strategy that aims to reduce the negative impacts of private car use and promote walking and cycling.

New charge points will be installed in appropriate locations across the borough to meet the needs of local communities, in both on-street and off-street locations, such as in car parks owned by the council.