Thursday, December 26, 2024
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Suffolk County Council sees strong EV interest from parishes

Upper tier local authority, Suffolk County Council has received 50 expressions of interest from communities across the area for new electric vehicle charging points.

The news follows the launch of the Suffolk 2020 funded project in September 2020, with the council holding long held ambitions to create green county. The programme is part of the Suffolk 2020 fund, which focuses investment on community projects to support the council’s climate emergency declaration. This year, £300,000 has been invested into creating 100 fast charging points in rural areas of the county.

At present, the majority of EV charging points are concentrated in larger towns such as Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich and Lowestoft. But the new expressions of interest will allow more points across rural locations such as Orford, Long Melford and Tuddenham St Martin.

The strong interest has come from local parish councils and communities who want to host charging points at rural village halls, community buildings, sports clubs and places of worship. The council has begun to undertake site surveys and plan for the initial installations that will take place. Once installed, each host community takes a share of the income generated by drivers who pay to charge their cars in the locality.

Ultra-low emission vehicle ownership has nearly trebled in the last three years within Suffolk. In total, there are around 422,000 cars licensed in Suffolk, but currently just under 2,500 of these are ultra-low emission cars. With an improved charging network across the county, the council believes this will encourage greater electric vehicle ownership in Suffolk in years to come.

Councillor Richard Rout, cabinet member for environment and public protection at Suffolk County Council, said: “This project is a key part of the council’s commitment to addressing the climate emergency that was declared in 2019, getting accessible electric vehicle charging points located across Suffolk to support residents and communities as they make informed choices in the use of greener transport options.

“Encouraging electric vehicle use is one way we can contribute to better air quality, the reduction of carbon emissions and cutting down our reliance on fossil fuels, all of which support the council’s climate emergency declaration and ambition to create the Greenest County.

“By putting the infrastructure in place I hope we enable more people to choose electric vehicles. With fewer petrol/diesel vehicles on our roads, Suffolk’s air quality improves and we contribute fewer carbon emissions.

“I am very pleased with these initial expressions of interest. It give me great confidence that we have made the right investment to begin breaking down some of the anxieties and barriers residents may have about owning an electric vehicle.”

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