EV charging project set for council support

An agreement is set to be approved for the support of a new electric vehicle charging point project in Leicestershire.Harborough District Council’s cabinet is to vote on a proposal to enter into an agreement with Electric Blue to provide electric vehicle charging points for residents without access to off street parking at their home.The government has made funding available to allow for the installation of infrastructure for electric vehicle charging to be made available for residents without access to off street parking.The council has identified a number of car parks, which are close to homes without driveways or access to off street parking, where residents could charge their cars overnight.Harborough District Council currently has six charging points in four car parks across the district.Three sites have been identified in Market Harborough which would meet the eligibility criteria for the grant funding and would be suitable for provision of overnight electric vehicle charging for residents nearby. These sites are Doddridge Road car park, St Mary’s West car park and Angel Street car park. All three sites are council owned and allow free overnight parking.With the aim of trying to get a consistent approach across Leicestershire a number of local authorities are applying for funding through the OLEV programme.The total cost for the installation of 10 charges in the car parks is £72,827.If the OLEV grant application is successful, Electric Blue will contribute £11,707 in funding towards the project and will then run the chargers, providing maintenance and back-office support for a seven-year period.