Council given almost £3 million of new funding from government for electric vehicle infrastructure in north Northamptonshire

North Northants Council (NNC) has been awarded £2,895,000 from central government to go towards investing in infrastructure for electric vehicles, as the country continues its race to a net zero future.

Funding will be used to deliver a network of publicly available electric vehicle charging points to all 12 towns across north Northamptonshire, with a particular focus on supporting residents who are not able to charge an electric vehicle at home.

Cllr Matt Binley, the council’s executive member for highways, travel and assets, said: “As a council we have been taking a detailed look at our electric vehicle infrastructure and consulted on our draft strategy last year. We are conscious of the expected rise in the number of electric vehicle users and want to ensure that our infrastructure can keep up with demand.

“The funding we are now set to receive from government will make a massive difference and help facilitate our electric vehicle infrastructure strategy.”

The council was provisionally allocated the funding and had to provide a business case on how it would be spent, which was approved, and the full grant has been allocated.

Similar boosts from government were given to NNC in April and October last year, with 169 charge points currently available in in north Northamptonshire. The council intends to raise this to at least 250 by the end of 2025.

The change to electric has been one that has been gradual, but not without criticism, with issues raised relating to the locations of the planned charging points, and how they will affect current parking arrangements. Plans for new charging bays in Wellingborough’s Hatton Avenue were met with disapproval of residents due to the plans’ proximity to the homes of those with non-EVs, and arrangements for charging points in Rothwell’s Market Square were paused following former town mayor, Karl Sumpter’s disapproval at the location.

Critics of the change to EVs insist that lengthy refueling times and the lack of accessibility to charge their vehicles are preventing them from making the switch, however the council hopes to use the funding from government to help ease the latter.

Jason Smithers, leader of North Northamptonshire Council, said: “With this funding provided by government, we are now well positioned to extend the local electric charging network. This supports residents who are looking to switch to electric vehicles and in turn contributes to our overall goal to make north Northamptonshire net zero.

“This funding will be integral in helping us towards our goal of having 80% of residents, without off-street parking, within 250m of a public electric vehicle charging point by the end of 2029.”