Northumberland County Council has passed a motion to expand its public electric vehicle charging network by 36 charge points across 26 locations. The additions will join the council’s existing network in a coastal county in northeast England that borders Scotland and includes Hadrian’s Wall and Northumberland National Park.
Most of the new charge points—78%—will be installed on land owned by the council. The remaining chargers will be placed on third-party land under licensing agreements. The council’s in-house EV team will install and maintain the equipment.
The charging infrastructure is being financed with 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 roll-out of charge points until 2029.
Cllr Richard Wearmouth, the council’s cabinet member with responsibility for transport, said it was good to see more investment in EV charging provision. He noted that the county has one of the largest road networks in the country and said it is vital to ensure the necessary facilities are available to help people get around.
The charge-point expansion follows the recent introduction of 14 BYD BD11 battery-electric buses into service in the region, adding further sustainable transport capacity.