Shropshire and Telford councils to get share of £39 million for EV street chargers
A consortium of local authorities, including both Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire Council, has been awarded £39 million to get more electric vehicle (EV) chargers onto the streets.
Thirteen Midlands councils came together to create two partnerships across the region to successfully submit a bid for the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, alongside the transport body Midlands Connect.
Second Midlands EV infrastructure Consortium is led by Nottinghamshire County Council, in partnership with East Midlands councils.
Meanwhile, Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council are in the Third Midlands EV infrastructure Consortium, led by Lincolnshire County Council.
The partnerships have an award of £39.3 million, and each local authority has been allocated an individual amount from that pot.
Analysis by Midlands Connect found the Midlands needs 17,461 new public EV charging points by the end of 2025 to meet the needs of the growing EV market and it’s hoped this latest good news around the Government funding will spur on more region-wide installation of charging points.
Estimates suggest the installation and maintenance of electric vehicle charging points will also create an influx of jobs in the region, with over 42,000 related roles set to be created in the Midlands by the end of 2032.
Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for climate change, environment and transport, welcomed the news.
He said: “I am delighted we have been part of a successful consortium that has brought a further £39 million to our region to help fund EV charging points for people who do not have access to off-street charging.
“The number of electric vehicles on our roads is increasing day by day and it is vital that people have access to on-street charging to allow them to move around freely, to support our local economy and to help take positive steps over climate change.
“Shropshire Council’s latest figures show there is already strong demand for charging points across the county, and we have already seen 400 users responsible for in excess of 1,000 transactions at our existing points. This is the equivalent of around 5,226 miles of travel, saving around 1.5 tonnes of carbon by comparison with conventional petrol and diesel vehicles."
Maria Machancoses, CEO of Midlands Connect, added: “We are delighted the Government has allocated funding over £39.3 million for 13 councils across the Midlands. This will really help the region to charge ahead of the pack."
“This is a vital next step in our efforts to improve electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the region ahead of the phase out of sales of new diesel and petrol cars and vans by 2030.
"This funding will improve the lives of those living in the Midlands, particularly for those who do not have access to off-street parking and may struggle to charge their vehicle otherwise."
