Northumberland County Council has approved the addition of 36 public electric vehicle charging points across 26 locations, expanding its existing charging network. The decision was taken through a motion passed by the council.
Most of the new infrastructure will be placed on council-owned land. The council said 78% of the charge points will be installed on its own property, while the remaining units will be sited on third-party land under licensing agreements.
The work is backed by just over £1 million in external funding from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement. Revenue generated by the chargers will be used to cover running costs, management and maintenance, according to the council. The funding is intended to support the rollout until 2029.
An in-house EV team at the council will install and maintain the equipment. Richard Wearmouth, the cabinet member responsible for transport, said the investment was welcome because the county has one of the largest road networks in the country and needs adequate facilities to help people travel.
Northumberland is a coastal county in northeast England, bordering Scotland and known for Hadrian’s Wall and Northumberland National Park. The charging expansion follows the recent entry into service of 14 BYD BD11 battery-electric buses in the region, a separate addition to its sustainable transport provision.