Northumberland County Council has secured £96,617.51 worth of funding from the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) to install 30 new on-street charging points to support residents wanting to transition to electric vehicles.

EV charging specialist, Connected Kerb, is working with the council to install across seven locations during August, including in Bellingham, Corbridge and Haltwhistle.

The council said the charge points are designed to be visually discreet and sympathetic to the surrounding environment, which they had highlighted as particularly important for Northumberland’s natural landscape.

Coun. Glen Sanderson, Leader of Northumberland County Council, said: “We are eager to invest in EV infrastructure across the county, and are looking at ways in which we can overcome barriers our residents face when switching to electric transport. Those residents without off-street parking do not currently have a convenient way to charge an EV if they were to purchase one. This investment will lead the way in solving this issue and help us reach our net-zero target of 2030.”

Chris Pateman-Jones, CEO of Connected Kerb, said: “It is great to see the council take this initiative. Providing charging infrastructure in more rural areas, like Northumberland, is crucial to encouraging mainstream adoption of EVs, and to the UK’s wider net-zero goals.”