Drive for change in North Northants - have your say on Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy

23 August 2023

North Northamptonshire Council is asking residents and stakeholders to have their say on the council’s draft Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy.

Central government expects all local authorities to develop electric vehicle infrastructure strategies and NNC’s draft strategy has been developed with input from the council’s Sustainable Communities Executive Advisory Panel and the town and parish council forums. Now NNC would like to hear from residents and other stakeholders on 10 policies which cover:

• Creation of an extensive EV charging network across North Northants
• Installing off-street Charging Hubs, with multiple connectors, in public NNC car parks
• EV charging in on-street locations to help meet future demand and make the transition easier
• Creation of one or more charging Superhubs 
• Smart charging technologies to optimise the capacity of the energy network to support EV charging infrastructure
• New development and EV charging infrastructure
• Shared electric transport to provide an alternative and flexible alternative to ownership.
• Investment in EV infrastructure to support the development of a self-sustaining charging network.
• Support for EV uptake through trials, campaigns, public engagement, collaboration, and other initiatives.

By 2030, it is estimated that there could in excess of 115,000 electric vehicles registered in North Northants, up from just over 3,000 now, so it is vital that we have the necessary infrastructure put in place to support this growth. This draft strategy puts in place policies to tackle some of the current barriers which residents might be facing, preventing them from being an electric vehicle user.Cllr Matt Binley, the council’s Executive Member for Highways, Travel and Asset

Road traffic currently accounts for a considerable proportion of North Northamptonshire’s overall greenhouse gas emissions, impacting on air quality, so making the switch to electric vehicles is going to be essential as we move towards 2030 and our pledge to be carbon neutral.Cllr Harriet Pentland, the council’s Executive Member for Climate and the Green Environment

With a growing number of electric vehicles, it is vital that we work with residents and stakeholders to ensure that future aspirations to shift to EVs are not frustrated by inadequate infrastructure. So, I would encourage everyone to have their say on the 10 policies before we approve the final strategy later in the year.Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of the Council

All feedback will be reviewed before the final strategy is presented for approval later in 2023.

The consultation will run until 11 October 2023 and can be completed via NNC’s consultation hub.

Anyone with any queries, comments or would like a copy of the questionnaire in a different format can contact us by email or post:

• [email protected]
• NNEVI Project, Economic Growth & Sustainability, North Northamptonshire Council, Sheerness House, Kettering NN16 8TL