£2.3m for chargepoints in east Cheshire

Cheshire East Council has secured more than £2.3 million in funding to install electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints at around 175 sites across east Cheshire, with installation at 15 locations starting this summer.

The funding was awarded through the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) and the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (LEVI), will help expand access to EV charging, especially valuable for those without off-street parking. Rolling out more EV infrastructure also supports Cheshire East Council’s Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy and the UK’s Zero Emission Mandate.

ORSC-funded EV chargepoints will be installed in 15 locations this summer at council car parks and at on-street locations across Alsager, Crewe, Knutsford, Macclesfield, Middlewich, Nantwich, Sandbach, and Wilmslow. LEVI funding will deliver further infrastructure over the next few years.

Councillor Mark Goldsmith, chair of Chesire East Council’s highways and transport committee, said: “With EV ownership in Cheshire East expected to rise from 8,000 to nearly 100,000 by 2030, this funding is vital. It helps us close gaps in the current network and support the growing number of EV drivers.

“The council plans to expand the network further, with at least 160 more locations to be rolled out in the future.”