More electric vehicle charging bays to be installed across Central Bedfordshire - including Leighton Buzzard, Biggleswade and Dunstable

Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) has secured £360,000 to help fund electric vehicle charging bays in 12 locations across the county, including Leighton Buzzard, Biggleswade and Dunstable.

The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) has gifted CBC the money - under the On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) - which will contribute to the installation of 48 new electric vehicle charge points, with 98 charging bays at 12 locations across the county.

The project is further supported with a funding contribution from the council’s charge point operator BP Pulse and will specifically target neighbourhoods where the ability able to charge electric vehicles is challenging.

Councillor Steven Dixon, Executive Member for Sustainability and Transformation, said: “We’re thrilled to have been awarded the funding.

"We currently have a relatively low number of publicly available electric vehicle charge points across our network and with this additional funding we can more than double the number, helping us to meet the increasing demand with more people choosing to drive hybrid or electric vehicles."

The approved sites covered within the ORCS funding award are: The Baulk Car Park, Biggleswade; Priory Gardens Church Square Car Park, Dunstable; Village Hall Car Park, Gravenhurst; Park Pavilion Car Park, Henlow; Tithe Farm Recreation Ground Car Park, Houghton Regis; Linslade Memorial Playing Fields Car Park, Leighton Buzzard; Baker Street Car Park, Leighton Buzzard; The Brache Parking Bays, Maulden; Market Square Parking Bays, Potton; STMA Hall Car Park, Shefford; Memorial Hall Car Park, Stotfold; Brook Street Car Park, Stotfold; Installations are programmed to take place in October and November.

A CBC spokesman said: "The chargepoint locations are determined by OZEV’s On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme funding criteria.

"This meant the council couldn’t include all the areas it would have liked. In some locations, it was difficult to find a site that fulfilled the criteria – for example, meeting accessibility and connection requirements.

"Some of the criteria have now changed so the council and BP Pulse are continuing to assess and reassess sites to continue charge point roll out on suitable sites and provide fair geographic coverage."

In addition, BP Pulse is working with the council on the wider charge point network, which includes the replacement and upgrade of existing charge points in council car parks.

The spokesman added: "Alongside this, we are assessing new sites, such as council car parks and leisure facilities, for rapid charge point provision which will provide a wider range of charging options for residents, businesses, and visitors.

"The council plans to bid again for grant funding to install more charge points in the autumn and into 2023 as part of a long-term commitment to supporting the Central Bedfordshire area to move towards net-zero carbon emissions."

Cllr Dixon added: “This is just the beginning as we look to support wider access and coverage. The sites that are in this phase are the ones that best fit the funding requirements, which unfortunately meant that other sites couldn’t be included in this bid. Work is already underway to assess nearly 200 sites and locations suggested by residents and town and parish councils for the next phase of the project, with the emphasis on focusing on getting better geographic coverage.

“As outlined in our Sustainability Plan, we’re committed to improving and developing infrastructure to enable residents and businesses to lead more sustainable and self-sufficient lives."