Cheshire East new electric vehicle charging strategy

Centre of Audlem by 2025?

Council announces new electric vehicle charging strategy

Cheshire East Council unveiled its new electric vehicle charging strategy at a meeting of its highways and transport committee on Thursday.

Implementation of the strategy, which is dependent upon funding from the government's On-Street Residential Charge Point and Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure schemes plus match-funding from the private sector, will see the roll-out of electric vehicle charging points in a large number of Cheshire East Council's 111 car parks.

As a key part of its carbon agenda, the council has committed to improving the current provision of electric vehicle charging in the borough, utilising other government funding programmes and match funding from the private sector in addition to the On-Street Residential Charge Point Scheme.

According to government statistics from April this year, the borough of Cheshire East currently has 153 electric charging points. It is expected that the requirement by 2025 needs to be double this and that by 2030 around 1,300 points will be needed.

The council recognises that the lack of off-street parking at many properties in the borough means the availability of home charging points is a potential barrier to some people switching to electric vehicle use.

The new strategy will support the council's green agenda by:

• Reducing inequalities in charge point provision and enabling all communities to have the opportunity to transitioning to electric vehicle use;
• Contributing towards reduced carbon emissions and improved air quality from transport;
• Supporting electric vehicles as part of an integrated travel system that encourages the reduction in private car usage and promotes active travel; and
• Leading the way in transitioning our own fleet of vehicles to electric and supporting other organisations in the borough to do the same