Northumberland County Council has passed a motion to add 36 public electric vehicle charging points at 26 locations, expanding the charger network it already operates. The new equipment will be installed across the northeast English county, which borders Scotland and includes Hadrian's Wall and Northumberland National Park.
Most of the new charge points — 78 per cent — will be built on land owned by the council. The remaining chargers will be placed on land owned by third parties under licensing agreements. The arrangement extends the network beyond council-owned sites without requiring the council to own the hosting land.
Funding and operation
The charging infrastructure is being financed with just over £1 million in external funding from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement. Generated revenue is to be used to meet the chargers' running costs, management and maintenance. The funding will be used to roll out the charge points until 2029.
An in-house EV team at Northumberland County Council will install and maintain the chargers. That keeps delivery and upkeep within the council rather than assigning both to an outside operator, although the third-party sites will be governed by licensing agreements.
Council rationale
Cllr Richard Wearmouth, the cabinet member responsible for transport at Northumberland County Council, welcomed the additional investment in EV charging provision. He said the county has one of the largest road networks in the country and that it is vital to ensure the necessary facilities are available to help people get around.
The motion adds another piece to Northumberland's public charging coverage. The announcement does not specify charger power ratings, connector types, construction start dates or the exact locations of the 26 sites. Those details will matter for drivers assessing how quickly the new points can charge vehicles and whether they suit particular journeys.
The 26 sites have not been identified individually, so the geographic spread within the county is not yet clear. The new points will join the council's existing network rather than form a standalone system.
Wider transport context
The charging expansion follows the introduction of 14 new BYD BD11 battery-electric buses in the region a few months earlier. The buses and the charge points are separate projects, but both add to the sustainable transport infrastructure available in Northumberland.
The council's approach mixes public land and licensed private sites, external capital funding and locally retained revenue for operating costs. The roll-out period to 2029 means the 36 points will be delivered over several years rather than as a single installation. How the network performs will depend on site delivery, maintenance and the use drivers make of the chargers once they are in service.