Northumberland County Council has passed a motion to add 36 public electric vehicle charging points at 26 locations, expanding its existing charging network. The council says 78 per cent of the new points will be installed on land it owns. The remaining chargers will be placed on third-party land under licensing agreements.
The rollout 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. The funding is intended to support installation through 2029.
An in-house EV team at the council will install and maintain the chargers. Richard Wearmouth, the cabinet member responsible for transport, said the investment would improve charging provision in the county. He noted that Northumberland has one of the largest road networks in the country and that adequate facilities are needed to help people travel around.
The announcement follows the introduction of 14 BYD BD11 battery-electric buses in the region a few months ago. Northumberland, a coastal area in northeast England that borders Scotland, is known for Hadrian's Wall and Northumberland National Park. The added charge points are intended to extend the county's public charging coverage beyond its current network.