New charge-up points for electric vehicles could be set up across Harborough

New charge-up points for electric vehicle drivers could be set up across Harborough.

Leicestershire County Council is backing a bid for almost £1 million funding as part of the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot.

Five local authorities in the Midlands have teamed up with transport body Midlands Connect to submit the ambitious bid.

If successful, the money, which totals £935,355, will be distributed between Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Herefordshire, Rutland and Stoke-on-Trent councils.

And this investment could unlock a further £2.8 million from the private sector to install a total of 349 public electric vehicle (EV) charging points in Harborough and throughout the Midlands.

The funding will be used for up to 100 charging points across all seven districts in Leicestershire.Most will be on-street chargers in residential areas, alongside publicly-available chargers in county council-owned car parks and other county council-owned sites, including libraries.

Leicestershire needs 1,487 new public EV charging points by the end of 2025 to meet fast-growing demand, new analysis shows.

Some 93 per cent of electric vehicle owners have access to off-road parking.

Maria Machancoses, chief executive of Midlands Connect, said: “It’s clear that the electric vehicle revolution is well under way in Leicestershire – our projections suggest that by the end of the decade over one in four cars will be electric.

"It’s vital that we act now to install the infrastructure motorists need to travel conveniently and to accelerate the take up of EVs, especially in areas where on-street parking is the norm,” she said.

“Local authorities are working hard to install public charge points.

“But it’s vital that we secure support from Government to make change happen faster and encourage further investment from the private sector.”

Cllr Nick Rushton, who leads Leicestershire County Council, said: “Given the rural nature of our county, it’s essential we have a comprehensive network of public charging points so that motorists can travel without the worry of finding a place to power up, and residents without driveways know they can charge their vehicles close to home.

“We’re very hopeful that this bid will be successful so that we can install the vital infrastructure needed now.

“We’re determined to become cleaner and greener - and Leicestershire has ambitious plans in place to become net zero by 2045,” added Cllr Rushton.

“A successful LEVI bid can only further emphasise our commitment to carbon reduction and shows effective action on climate change, as well as supporting the green economy.”

You can comment on the county council’s plans at www.leicestershire.gov.uk/netzero

Meanwhile, new charge-up points have just been set up in Market Harborough.

An extra 10 charging points with associated bays are now ready to use in the town.

They have been installed on Doddridge Road, St Mary’s West, and Angel Street car parks.