Milton Keynes Council has committed to rolling out hundreds of new residential EV chargers after securing a £1.1 million grant.
The council has been bullish in its plans to turn the area into a haven for electric vehicles, with Milton Keynes being one of the areas taking part in the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles’ (OZEV) Go Ultra Low scheme.
The town is home to a dedicated Electric Vehicle Experience Centre, while the council itself has installed more than 170 standard/fast electric vehicle charging points and 56 rapid electric vehicle charging points, alongside the hundreds installed by private sector companies in the area.
Now, Milton Keynes Council is set to go further as part of its partnership with Connected Kerb and Ringway. That’s because it has secured a £1.1 million grant, the second largest grant offered to date from OZEV, to install hundreds of new chargers.
Around 40% of homes in Milton Keynes do not currently have access to off street charging facilities. The grant will be used to install 250 charging points on residential roads in older areas of the town, where there are fewer off street parking options but where electric vehicle ownership is on the rise. Senior officials from OZEV will be visiting MK to discuss the programme.
Cllr Jenny Wilson-Marklew, Cabinet Member for Climate Action and Sustainability, commented, “We’re delighted to have secured funding to make it easier for local people to use electric vehicles. Encouraging drivers to make the switch to electric is a vital part of our carbon neutral future. It needs to be made as easy as possible and we look forward to working with all of our partners to begin this ground-breaking project.”
Chris Pateman-Jones, CEO, Connected Kerb, added, “I am delighted that Milton Keynes Council, who are a recognised pioneer in the EV sector, selected Connected Kerb for this critical EV infrastructure project which aims to boost EV uptake in Milton Keynes by improving access to charge points for residents without off-street parking. Making charging more affordable, sustainable and accessible to all is an essential step if the city and the wider UK is to reach net zero.”
Yogesh Patel, Ringway Innovation Director, concluded, “We are excited by the potential of this project to shape new travel choices for local people. Our teams already work hard to maintain the highway network in Milton Keynes and we are looking forward to using this local knowledge to create greener transport options for residents. This project, especially the funding already secured, is a big step forward to future-proof the local highway network, and we cannot wait to get started.”
