Telford & Wrekin Council is one step closer to rolling out its electric vehicle (EV) charging point programme, supported by nearly £700,000 of government funding.
Work to install 70 new charging points will start in December, supported by charge point operator Believ and extend into the near year.
The council-owned car parks involved in the rollout of fast and rapid charge points are in Wellington, Dawley, Oakengates, Hadley, Ironbridge and Newport. The charging points support Telford and Wrekin’s transition to electric vehicles and improving resident and visitor access to facilities.
Each charge point will feature two charging sockets, meaning a total of 140 cars would be able to charge at the same time.
According to research by Midlands Connect, figures suggest Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin will see an increase of 1,812 per cent in the uptake of electric vehicles by the end of 2030.
Projections are predicted to rise from 6,332 EVs in the area today to 121,044 on its roads by the end of 2030.
“This is a big step forward in the programme with Believ and we are excited to start rolling out charging points in the new year," said Councillor Ollie Vickers, (Lab) Cabinet Member for the Economy.
“We’re starting in one of Telford and Wrekin’s oldest towns and proud to be supporting people who wish to make the choice to reduce vehicle carbon emissions."
The project is part funded through the Government’s On-street Residential Charge Point Scheme (ORCS) and Believ, and includes planning, installation, operation and ongoing maintenance of charge points.
“The business is proud to support a progressive and forward-thinking council to achieve net zero carbon emissions," said Guy Bartlett, Chief Executive Officer of Believ.
"Telford & Wrekin Council is making significant progress towards achieving carbon neutrality, and we are delighted to deliver a charge point infrastructure that helps contribute to its success.
“From delivering fully funded solutions to working in partnership with other sources of funding, we work to deploy bespoke, end-to-end EV charging solutions that suit the local area and our partners best. It is through these partnerships and active collaboration that we move closer to achieving cleaner air for all, and we are excited to be part of Telford and Wrekin Council’s journey”
Believ share a live data partnership with Zapmap, meaning that users of the Zapmap app and web map are able to access the live status and availability of its charge points at any time, making planning for charging even easier.
“In 2019 Telford & Wrekin Council declared a climate emergency and committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030," said Councillor Carolyn Healy, (Lab) Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Planning & Sustainability.
“Five years later, we have cut our carbon emissions by 61 per cent and on track to hit our target date. With the council in the process of switching its own fleet to zero-emissions vehicles, these new charging points will help residents to make the switch to electric vehicles too, making it easier to conveniently charge their vehicles whilst using our free council car parks.”
Increasing the number of EV charging points in off-street and residential areas across the borough, is part of Telford & Wrekin Council’s ’20 pledges in 20 weeks’ campaign, which will see the local authority deliver 20 actions on the things that matter most to local people during the first 20 weeks following Councillor Lee Carter’s appointment as Leader on 18 July.
