EV charging points strategy agreed

At least six EV charging points will be installed by the end of next year in each of North East Lincolnshire’s 15 council wards.

The council has agreed its EV strategy to 2030, and set itself targets to accelerate public charging point infrastructure. From just 39 publically available EV chargepoints today, the council aims to have more than 800 in place by 2030.

Around 800 EV charging points are needed by then to meet rising demand. The government is banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035. Half of the borough’s residents do not have access to off-street parking, which means an increase in public charging points is essential.

“We are one step closer in making North East Lincolnshire a cleaner and greener environment,” said Cllr Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for environment and transport, on the strategy being approved by the council’s cabinet. “Making chargepoints easily accessible for people in the borough will encourage people to switch to an electric vehicle.”

The EV strategy, submitted by North East Lincolnshire Council’s delivery partner Equans, lays out a number of goals. These include at least six chargepoints in each ward by 2025. There is a target of 500 standard chargepoints in by 2026, and 800 of these by 2030. Rapid charging points, which charge vehicles quickest, have more modest targets of ten by 2026 and 25 by 2030.

A significant proportion of the charging infrastructure will be allocated to Cleethorpes, Grimsby and Immingham areas, given their higher density housing. To aid those who lack off-street parking, the council will use funding made available to install on-street charging facilities using kerbside lamp columns, or separate bollards. The use of cable gullies under footpaths to allow residents in terraced homes to connect their EV to home energy supply, and benefit from cheaper off peak energy, is being explored as well.

The strategy report also details the council has made a funding bid to government to provide for around 60 on-street charging points. If successful, this will occur shortly.

Overall, the strategy anticipates a mixture of public and private funding to support the charging points rollout. It notes public funding options for rapid chargers are more limited, currently.