Northumberland County Council has passed a motion to add 36 electric vehicle charging points at 26 locations, extending the public network it already operates. The additions are planned to be rolled out until 2029.
Most of the new hardware, 78 per cent, will be installed on land owned by the council. The remaining charge points will be sited on land held by third parties under licensing agreements, an arrangement that lets the network reach locations outside the council's own estate.
The installation work is being financed with just over £1 million in external funding from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement. Revenue generated by the chargers is intended to cover their running costs, management and maintenance rather than the upfront build.
Installation and upkeep will be carried out by the council's in-house EV team. Richard Wearmouth, the cabinet member with responsibility for transport at Northumberland County Council, welcomed the additional investment in charging provision, noting that the county has one of the largest road networks in the country and that the facilities are needed to help people get around.
Northumberland lies in the northeast of England, borders Scotland and is known for Hadrian's Wall and Northumberland National Park. The charging expansion follows the arrival of 14 BYD BD11 battery-electric buses in the region, which entered service a few months ago.