Plans for 75 electric charging points to be installed across Northumberland each year

Plans to install a raft of new on-street electric vehicle chargers in Northumberland have been given the green light.

Northumberland County Council's cabinet has agreed on a proposal to introduce 75 on-street electric vehicle (EV) charge points across the county each year over the next three years.

The charge points will be installed at locations which best meet the needs of both residents and visitors.

The plans were welcomed by the cabinet which gave its full support for the growing EV infrastructure in the county at a meeting onTuesday’s 7 June.

Council leader Glen Sanderson said: “This is great news as it will help encourage our residents to make the switch to EV and become more environmentally friendly.  

“Around 23,000 households in Northumberland do not have access to off-road parking and would struggle to charge an EV without this dedicated infrastructure."

He added: "Having these publicly available charge points will allow EVs to become a viable and attractive option for many more of our residents - not just those with off-street parking.”

The proposal supports the council’s ambition for Northumberland to be a carbon neutral county by 2030.

Over the next eight years the authority aims to have around 30% of cars owned in Northumberland as EVs in order to reach this target. 

Cllr Sanderson added: “Although certain policy decisions, such as the ban on the sale of new internal combustion engine cars, will encourage more EVs, many barriers still exist and we need to remove these as much as possible to help support the transition to EV, which will ultimately improve our county for the better.” 

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