Local electric vehicle charging infrastructure is expanding beyond central urban streets to reach drivers without off-street parking in suburban areas of Bedford and Kempston, and surrounding rural villages.
Bedford Borough Council has partnered with provider Connected Kerb to begin an initial installation of 260 charging sockets across both urban and rural communities.
The network is set to expand significantly over time, with proposals for more than 900 additional sockets to meet growing demand across the entire Borough.
Funding for the infrastructure comes from the government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, administered through the Department for Transport’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles.
Connected Kerb will install, maintain, and manage the charging network on behalf of the council’s highways engineering team.
Local people living in areas earmarked for the new charging points will receive advance notification from the council before installation begins.
“Real ambition”
Cllr Nicola Gribble (Renhold & Ravensden), portfolio holder for environment, said: “This is a real step change to make the transition from traditional cars to EVs an easier one.
“Making use of the LEVI funding is one of the ways we as a Council are helping residents feel confident in making the switch to EVs.
“Our collaboration with Connected Kerb will ensure that all our communities benefit, both urban and rural.
“Our officers have worked to get this project set up against a challenging background of changing legislation and technical requirements in order to get the funding for this activity, and the contract was finalised and confirmed in early July.
“We are one of the first tranche of councils in the country to have got this far, so this is a big win for Bedford Borough.
“We know that EVs are a growing part of the car market share – and as they are not producing exhaust emissions, they are better for local air quality and generally better for the environment, making this a great place to visit, work and live in.”
Chris Pateman-Jones, chief executive officer of Connected Kerb, said: “The future of transport isn’t arriving at some point down the road, it’s already here. The challenge now is making sure the infrastructure keeps pace.
“That’s exactly what this partnership with Bedford Borough Council is doing.
“By expanding access to EV charging across the Borough, we’re helping more residents make the switch to electric with confidence.
“Bedford is showing real ambition in preparing for the next generation of transport, and we’re proud to be part of that journey.”
