Mel Stride MP has urged local authorities to take advantage of a £20 million cash injection to boost the number of on-street Electric Vehicle (EV) charge points in towns and cities across the UK.
On Tuesday 2nd February Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced that funding for the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme will continue into 2021/22, allowing residents without private parking to reliably charge their vehicle. Since its inception in 2017, more than 140 local authority projects have benefitted from the scheme, which has supported applications for nearly 4,000 charge points across the UK. This funding boost could double that, adding nearly 4,000 more charge points in our towns and cities, tackling poor air quality and supporting economic growth.
Mr Stride said:
“In October rapid EV charge points were installed in Chudleigh and Buckfastleigh and I hope this funding will bring more points to our constituency. Local authorities need to be proactive in promoting greener travel and more EV charge points not only make owning an electric vehicle easier, but also serve as a great advertising tool. Thousands of people will see them every month and hopefully this will spark a family conversation about a potential switch to an electric vehicle.”
Photo: Mel in Buckfastleigh in December, prior to the national lockdown, discussing the need for more local EV charge points with Teignbridge Councillor Sarah Parker-Khan.
