Suffolk County Council has secured a significant financial boost to augment its EV infrastructure. The council’s successful bid to the government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund raised £7.3 million, earmarked for developing a comprehensive EV charging network across Suffolk.
This investment aims to directly address the key challenge of a lack of convenient charging facilities faced by residents without off-street parking. The £5.9 million allocated for this purpose will pave the way for developing kerbside chargepoints, community charging hubs and car park chargepoints. The additional £1.4 million will be allocated to bolstering the county’s existing infrastructure, which includes rapid chargepoints.
Shaping the rollout
Residents are actively encouraged to participate in shaping the rollout by nominating their streets for consideration via an online form. The council said that “not all roads would be suitable” but that the initiative would highlight the areas experiencing the greatest demand for new charging solutions.
Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for finance and environment, emphasised the multifaceted benefits of this transition. “Supporting Suffolk’s residents, businesses and visitors to move to EVs goes beyond just using less petrol and diesel,” he said. “It’s about improving Suffolk’s air quality and enabling us to live healthier lives, and reducing the impacts of climate change which have once again been brought into sharp focus by the many storms and flooding events we’ve seen in recent months.”
Commitment to sustainability
The LEVI funding aligns with Suffolk’s pre-existing commitment to sustainability. It complements the Suffolk Climate Emergency Plan, which identifies low-carbon transport as a crucial step towards achieving net zero emissions by 2030.
Furthermore, it bolsters the recently published EV:Ready Report, a collaborative effort between the county council and all borough and district councils designed to enhance the overall EV charging experience for drivers in Suffolk.
“The Strategy gives us a clear picture of what Suffolk has achieved already, but importantly shows where we must focus our efforts to further support Suffolk’s residents, businesses and visitors,” said Rout. “We of course promote walking, cycling and using public transport where possible, but for the vehicles that remain on our roads, we want to encourage the transition to EVs. It is an important culture to embrace, as it positively impacts so much from climate change, to our health, to our local tourism economy.”