Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border, welcomed £1,406,000 of Conservative Government funding to instal Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points across Cumbria.
Up to 900 new charging points will be installed in the county, located in streetlights, new charging boards and dedicated parking bays. The charging points will cater to local people, many of whom do not have access to off-street charging, as well as Cumbria’s buoyant tourism and hospitality sector.
The investment will also leverage and utilise hundreds of thousands of pounds of private sector investment to bolster and accelerate the scheme.
This forms part of a £22m extension to the LEVI Pilot, which will deliver 2,400 chargepoints and 600 gullies and leverage nearly £17m in private investment.
The Government launched the £10 million Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot last year across nine local authorities, but with such high demand, Ministers extended funding to a further 16 areas including Cumbria. Nationally UK drivers will benefit from an additional £56 million in public and industry funding for EV infrastructure.
Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border, said:
“I’m grateful to Transport Ministers for taking the decision to futureproof Cumbrian transport infrastructure. With our unique geography a proactive approach to installing charging points will not only help our transition to a low-carbon future but bolster Cumbria’s hospitality and tourism credentials for years to come.”
Technology and Decarbonisation Transport Minister, Jesse Norman added:
“The government is giving local authorities across England additional help today to energise their chargepoint roll-out plans.
“Today’s commitment will lead to thousands of new chargers being installed, and plans for tens of thousands extra in due course, so that more people than ever can make the transition to using EVs.”