To encourage electric car ownership and help improve air quality, Halton Borough Council is installing on-street charging points later this month for residents to charge plug-in electric vehicles.

The Council successfully bid for a grant from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), receiving £74,250, to install charging bays in a number of areas – Wellington Street, Halton Road and Rutland Street in Runcorn, Albert Road North and Appleton Village in Widnes.

Last year the Council ran a public consultation asking people to suggest locations for charging points and, having considered the most popular and most practical, the above locations were chosen. They are areas where there is a shortage of off-street parking i.e. terraced properties, so that people without driveaways will have the opportunity to consider switching to an electric car. The selected areas also have capacity to accommodate a number of charging bays

The charge points are supplied by Connected Kerb, an award-winning UK electric vehicle charging business. The charge points are made using recycled materials.

Any member of the public will be able to use the charge points via the Connected Kerb phone app and contactless payment.

The installation work will be carried out late March/early April and will take four to five days on each street. During this time a small number of parking bays will be out of use. Construction teams will aim to minimise any disruption to residents.

For more information on electric vehicle charge points, e-mail transport.policy@halton.gov.uk

Or, there are two drop-in sessions where you can find out more:

  • The Brindley Theatre, Runcorn.  Wednesday 11 March, 4pm-5.30pm
  • Halton Direct Link, Brook Street, Widnes.  Thursday 12 March, 4pm-5.30pm.

In conjunction with the scheme, Connected Kerb will be running an EV trial promotion for local residents. Details will be available on Connected Kerb’s website www.connnectedkerb.com from May.

 

FAQs

 

What is the benefit of owning or leasing an electric vehicle?

Some immediate benefits include: Cheaper to run; Cheaper to maintain; Better for the environment; Quiet; There are tax savings and incentives.

How do I charge if I don’t have off-street parking?

The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) has made funding available for local authorities to provide on-street charge points for residents who do not have access to an off-street parking facility.

How much does charging an electric vehicle cost?

Halton Borough Council has entered into an initial eight-year contract to provide and maintain the charge points. Charge costs are expected to be 25p/kWh in the first year of the scheme.

 What are the benefits of this scheme?

By installing charge points on-street, residents without off-street parking can enjoy the convenience and value of charging their electric vehicles at home. As more residents switch to electric vehicles, communities will benefit from improved air quality.

Will there be any changes to parking?

No. We have designed this scheme and the scale of the deployment on each street to provide access to charging infrastructure without the need to dedicate bays to electric vehicles at this stage. As the transition to electric vehicles continues and numbers of vehicles in the area increases, the Council, following a consultation process, may dedicate some or all of the bays.