On-street electric vehicle charging points to be installed for residents in Bedford without driveways

Bedford Borough Council is installing 30 EV charging points in streets across the town.

They will be in:

Russell Avenue near Russell Park

Oaklands Road off Kimbolton Road

Cutcliffe Grove off Bromham Road

Park Road West near Bedford Park

Victoria Road off Ampthill Road

The charging points will all be on-street to cater for residents who do not have their own driveways so are unable to charge at home. They will be available for use by the end of March.

The move follows a successful bid for more than £96,000 to the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and in partnership with electric vehicle (EV) charging specialist Connected Kerb,

Mayor Dave Hodgson said: “No new diesel and petrol vehicles will be sold in the UK from 2030, in just nine years' time, and we need to get EV infrastructure in place to help residents to make this change.

“Through this successful grant application, we are able to install 30 charging points in five different parts of Bedford where houses do not generally have their own driveways. These points will join those already in place in Bedford and make it easier for people to start to shift away from traditional fossil-fuelled vehicles.

“Initially the spaces with the charging points will function as normal parking spaces and will not be reserved for electric vehicles, but we will keep this under review and if demand requires, this is something we can look to change, in partnership with the local community on those streets.”

CEO of Connected Kerb, Chris Pateman-Jones, said: “We’re thrilled to be working alongside Bedford on this forward-thinking project. The council is showing crucial environmental stewardship in delivering a convenient on-street charging solution for its residents, one that we hope will show people that electric vehicles are a viable option and encourage them to switch.

“To date, people without driveways have been largely excluded from EV ownership, but with government bans on the horizon and more people looking to transition from polluting vehicles, on-street charging solutions become increasingly important. Bedford is leading the way in this regard."

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