Staffordshire secures large funding amount to boost electric charge points

Staffordshire County Council is among 13 local authorities in the Midlands that have collectively secured £40.8 million in government funding to install more electric vehicle charge points in areas with limited off-street parking. 

Out of the £40.8 million, Staffordshire will receive a share of more than £4.5 million to install electric charge points across the county, with precise locations and numbers to be determined in future contracts.

The funding, provided through the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, will help deliver more than 16,000 new charge point sockets across the region. 

As part of a wider regional partnership, Staffordshire County Council has been working alongside 12 other local authorities to ensure a significant boost in EV charging availability. 

The successful bid, submitted in 2024, was led by Lincolnshire County Council and Worcestershire County Council, securing £20.64 million. 

This follows an earlier award of £20.17 million secured by Nottinghamshire County Council and its partners, bringing the total investment for the Midlands to £40.8 million. 

Mark Deaville, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Strategic Highways, said: “Councils do not receive funding for electric vehicle charging in our general budgets, so this money is a major step forward in allowing us to help make electric vehicle charging more accessible across Staffordshire.

"By adding more public charge points, we’re making it easier for people to switch to electric vehicles, especially those without driveways. 

"This investment will not only support our sustainability goals but also ensure that Staffordshire is ready for the future of transport." 

Almost 31 per cent of Midlands residents do not have access to off-street parking. 

It is hoped that increasing the number of public on-street charge points will make it easier for those without a driveway to make the switch to an electric vehicle.  

This will also increase the ease of travel and charging for all EV users in the county whilst encouraging more people to transition to cleaner and more sustainable transport options. 

Maria Machancoses, CEO of Midlands Connect, said: “We are delighted that our collaboration with local authorities has resulted in a significant funding boost for electric vehicle infrastructure across the region.  

“This is a great step in moving towards a reliable electric vehicle charging infrastructure network across the Midlands, which will become increasingly important as we move closer to the 2035 ban of diesel and petrol vehicles.  

“We will continue to work with local authorities to accelerate the roll-out of electric vehicle infrastructure across the Midlands.”