Cumbria to see 900 new electric vehicle charge points as part of £1.4 million funding

The money has been granted by the Department for Transport's Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure pilot. Credit: ITV News

Cumbria is to get 900 new electric vehicle charging points thanks to £1.4 million in funding.

The money has been granted by the Department for Transport's Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure pilot, following a successful bid from Cumbria County Council.

Councillor Keith Little, the council's Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: "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.”

The funding is also supported by almost £500k by private charge point installers and operators.

The scheme will see up to 780 standard 7kw charge points installed within streetlights or new charging bollards, with the remaining 120 charge points - which will also be 7kw - mostly in existing local authority owned car parks.

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.

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."

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