Strategy to boost charging points for electric vehicles approved

Strategy to boost charging points for electric vehicles approved

The Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Strategy was approved by the Combined Authority Board on Wednesday (October 16), marking a major step forward in the region’s efforts to support the shift to electric vehicles and provide reliable, accessible charging options for residents.

The strategy aligns with the Combined Authority’s broader goals of improving connectivity, while cutting carbon emissions from transport.

Developed in collaboration with Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council, the strategy outlines several key objectives. These include delivering public EV charging infrastructure across the region, focusing on on-street and high-priority locations for residents dependent on public charging, ensuring convenient access to public charging options for those without private off-road parking, and encouraging new high-quality EV charging facilities. Additionally, the strategy supports the development of reliable EV charging infrastructure in commercial areas and sets standards for a high-quality, open, and accessible public EV charging network throughout the region.

A primary focus of the strategy is to ensure that by 2040, 80 percent of homes in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough without off-street parking will have access to convenient EV charging, ideally within a five-minute walk from their home.

The Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund aims to help local authorities across England drive plans to increase charging capacity in their regions. The Government has outlined a £5.4 million allocation for the Combined Authority under its Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund to help expand the charging network

A key focus of the LEVI fund is addressing the challenges faced by those without off-street parking or garages, ensuring they have convenient access to charging points. The Combined Authority, in partnership with Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council, has submitted an initial business case for the £5.4 million to the Government and is now refining the case based on the feedback received.

Cllr Anna Smith, Deputy Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and Chair of the Transport and Infrastructure Committee, said: “I’m delighted this strategy has been approved, supporting our plan to help the shift to electric vehicles. That transition is not just about creating more EV charging points, but making them more accessible to people, especially those who rely on on-street home charging because they don’t have driveways. Securing government LEVI funding will be part of our strategy to accelerate the rollout of charging infrastructure, empowering more people to make the switch to electric vehicles.”

The approved strategy reflects input from local stakeholders and public feedback gathered through an electric vehicle charging survey, and includes a detailed action plan for implementation.

Read the report to the Board: https://democracy.cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk/documents/s1795/Recommendations%20from%20TIC%20-%20Electric%20Vehicles.pdf