Westmorland and Furness Council plough ahead with EV adoption

Westmorland and Furness Council in Cumbria is moving ahead with its electric vehicle (EV) adoption, following the approval of Part Two of its Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy. This outlines the next phase of action to expand charging facilities across the community.

The strategy sets out to expand charging infrastructure in car parks and on streets, as well as highlighting the importance of public-private sector collaboration by encouraging businesses and developers to incorporate EV charging into both new and existing sites.

It builds on the success of Part One of the Strategy, which laid the foundations for community-wide EV adoption.

The council have implemented a set of targets to highlight its commitment to EV charging infrastructure development, which include ensuring that all Westmorland and Furness Council owned car parks have electric vehicle chargepoint infrastructure by 2030, delivering 1,548 additional chargepoint sockets across the area by 2030, and making sure 60 per cent of households who don’t have off-street parking are within a three-minute walk of a chargepoint by 2030.

The council are also working with potential partners to increase charging infrastructure availability in third-party car parks, as well as hosting an annual open day where residents can learn more about electric vehicles and the benefits of making the switch.

Councillor Peter Thorn, cabinet member for highways and ICT, said: “Expanding our infrastructure is essential for ensuring that our roads and transport network are fit and robust for the future. By providing more charging points in key locations, we can support residents and businesses in making the switch to electric vehicles with confidence, while also improving connectivity across Westmorland and Furness. 

“We are committed to working closely with local stakeholders, businesses, and community groups to ensure the roll-out of the expanded EV network meets the needs of everyone.”