Staffordshire could lose £4.5 million of government funding for electric car charging points, its new Reform-led council has suggested.

Staffordshire Council was allocated the funds earlier this year as part of a national programme aimed at improving electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, says the Express & Star. However, the county council’s recently elected leaders, are now carrying out a review of the scheme, after questioning whether it will offer taxpayers good value for money. 

Green Councillor Jack Rose said he fears that this review could put the government funding in jeopardy and potentially leave Staffordshire residents worse off. He quizzed council leaders on their approach during a meeting of the corporate overview and scrutiny committee, but council leader Ian Cooper insisted that the authority has a duty to ensure taxpayers’ money is spent wisely.

Staffordshire was part of a Midlands partnership of authorities that secured £40.8 million from the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund to install over 16,000 charging points across the region.  The charging points would be installed in areas with limited off-street parking, to make it easier for residents to switch to EVs. The funding was secured under the previous Conservative administration.

Reform says there is ‘little or no demand’ for charging points in these areas and they want the government to let Staffordshire tailor the plans to meet the ‘specific rural needs’ of the county. Councillor Rose, who represents Stafford West and Rural, raised concerns that Staffordshire could end up losing the LEVI money. 

“I just feel we are risking losing this funding from central government,” he said. “Other authorities around the country are going to be moving forward with these schemes, taking the funding from central government and investing in local infrastructure.” 

(Pic: Yay Images)