Funding secured for expanding EV charge-point infrastructure across West Northamptonshire

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has applied for and secured over £400,000 worth of funding from the government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Capability Fund.

An initial £73,000 worth of funding was secured earlier in the year, and the Council have now successfully received an additional £335,000 from the fund.

The LEVI Fund is designed to support local authorities to develop their electric vehicle charge-point infrastructure. It has two main objectives, to transform the deployment of on-street EV charging infrastructure across England and to accelerate the commercialisation of the local EV charging sector.

As part of the next steps WNC will go to the market to select the best partner to deliver EV charging across West Northamptonshire, using private investment alongside the Government grant to extend the range of opportunities across our towns and villages.

Wider access to on-street EV charge-points will make owning an electric vehicle more convenient and increase access more readily available across West Northamptonshire.

Increased use of EVs across West Northamptonshire will help the Council reach the broader residents and business 2045 net-zero carbon emissions target.

The capability funding, which is what we have received so far, will enable the Council to build a team that will be responsible for developing an EV charging infrastructure strategy. Once we have a strategy in place for the planning and delivery of the charge-point infrastructure we will be able to apply for a £2.8m capital funding from the LEVI fund to implement the strategy

The green transition is vital as we continue on a journey to make West Northamptonshire a more sustainable place to live and work. We are pleased to have received this initial LEVI funding, it will enable the Council to further our sustainability goals by allowing us to develop the capacity to plan and deliver an innovative EV charging strategy.Cllr Jonathan Nunn, Leader of West Northamptonshire Council