Thousands of new electric vehicle chargepoints will soon be installed across Hertfordshire after the county council appointed three leading chargepoint operators to deliver a major infrastructure programme backed by over £6 million in secured grant funding.
The rollout marks a major step in delivering on Hertfordshire County Council’s Corporate Plan commitment to growing a greener Hertfordshire, making EV charging easier, fairer and more reliable for residents and businesses.
Working in close partnership with district and borough councils, the council has already identified priority areas across the county where residents lack off-street parking.
Cllr Paul Zukowskyj, Executive Member for Environment, Transport and Growth, said:
“Hertfordshire is powering up for a safer, more accessible and sustainable transport future. This is about more than installing chargepoints – it’s about building confidence, supporting local growth and making sustainable travel a practical choice for everyone.”
The council is on track to deliver 3,000 new sockets by 2030, ensuring provision keeps pace with rising demand and supporting communities currently underserved by EV infrastructure.
As well as providing more public chargepoints a new trial is also about to be launched in the St Albans district allowing residents to apply for a licence to install a cross-pavement charging channel, allowing them to run charging cables safely across pavements and benefit from cheaper home energy tariffs. This potentially provides an alternative means of charging vehicles (where locations conform to eligibility criteria).
Councillor Jacqui Taylor, Lead for Sustainability and Climate for St Albans City and District Council, said:
“We fully support this scheme which can only encourage the greater use of electric vehicles. As a Council, we declared a climate emergency six years ago and have undertaken many actions since then to cut harmful emissions across the district.
“This has included installing charging points for EVs at a number of different locations, but we recognise there is a need for many more. This infrastructure programme will help increase the number, particularly in residential areas.
“I am also sure many of our residents will want to apply for a licence to install cross pavement charging channels, something else which the county council is promoting.”
(Picture: Yay Images)
