A £1 MILLION funding boost will see more on-street electric vehicle charging points pop up across Shropshire.
The unitary authority successfully bid for a slice of Government funding with £902,940 awarded by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, with support of the Energy Saving Trust.
It means the number of charge points across the county will grow to 320, across 45 locations.
Shropshire Council has already worked with its charge point operator, Connected Kerb, to deliver charging points in towns including Oswestry, Whitchurch, Shrewsbury, Market Drayton, Bridgnorth and Ludlow.
Councillor Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for climate change, environment and transport, said: “For electric vehicles, charging at home usually occurs off-street in garages and driveways, a convenient and efficient option. However, in many parts of Shropshire off-street parking is unavailable to residents.
“By installing charge points on-street or in public car parks, residents without off-street parking can enjoy the convenience and value of charging their electric vehicles.
“This is one of the biggest awards to have been made to any council under the on-street residential charging points scheme from the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles, and it means we can add 270 more charge points to our streets and car parks to benefit the growing number of hybrid and EV owners in the county.
“We’re committed to improving and developing infrastructure to enable residents and businesses to lead more sustainable and self-sufficient lives, which in turn helps reduce the impacts of climate change on our environment. Providing more electric vehicle charge points is just one of the ways we are delivering on this priority.”
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Chris Pateman-Jones, CEO of Connected Kerb, added: “It is an exciting opportunity for Connected Kerb and Shropshire Council to continue in partnership.
“Providing equal access to affordable electric vehicle charging across the country is essential if the UK is to be EV-ready by 2030, and Shropshire is to become carbon net-neutral in the same year.”
Shropshire Council declared a climate emergency in May 2019, and in December 2020 adopted a Climate Strategy and Action Plan, which establishes the objective of achieving net-zero carbon performance for the council by 2030.
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