Lancashire takes next step towards grant from £343m electric vehicle chargepoint fund
Lancashire is one step closer to a slice of a national £343m fund for electric vehicle public charge points.
On September 7, applications officially opened for the first round of funding for the government’s £343 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Capital Fund.
The LEVI fund will ensure the transition to electric vehicles takes place in every part of the country by supporting tens of thousands of local chargepoints, especially for those without access to off-street parking.
Local authorities will receive LEVI funding in two groups, with the first able to apply for their allocated funding from now, to be distributed this financial year. The second group, which includes Lancashire, can apply for their funding in the next financial year.
Cllr Shun Turner, cabinet member for environment and climate change said: "Earlier this year, Lancashire County Council was allocated £10.1m from the LEVI fund to scale up delivery of local EV charging infrastructure.
"Following the submission of our expression of interest in May, we have now been invited to submit a stage two application to access the funding.
"We will be working closely with district councils and key stakeholders to prepare the full application ready for when the application window opens in spring 2024.
"The aim of the LEVI fund is to deliver on-street charging infrastructure primarily benefiting those without access to off-street parking at home.
"This funding will help us deliver the vision and aims of our EV Infrastructure Strategy, approved by Cabinet in July, supporting our residents with the move to electric vehicles.
"Now that the next stage of the process has begun, it takes us a step closer to accessing the funds and making the project a reality here in Lancashire."