Release date: 10 July 2023
Following completion of the first phase of new public electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints in West Sussex, the County Council is seeking residents’ feedback regarding the locations of the second phase.
Working in partnership with all seven district and borough councils and Connected Kerb, a leading infrastructure specialist, the County Council is planning the installation and maintenance of thousands of chargepoints across the county over the next decade at zero cost to councils.
The project is one of the largest ever single roll-outs of chargepoints by a local authority and will make on-street charging more accessible for residents without driveways, boosting the County Council’s efforts to enable sustainable transport across the county.
Over 170 chargepoints have already been installed, with works on an additional 250 chargepoints in progress on residential streets and in car parks. The locations have been chosen through a combination of thousands of resident requests and Connected Kerb’s intuitive site selection tool.
Residents are now being asked for their comments on the proposed locations for phase two of the installations. Feedback is requested by 7 August 2023, after which the installations will be programmed for delivery from August onwards.
Details of the sites can be viewed on Connected Kerb’s website at: www.connectedkerb.com/westsussexresidents.
Residents can let the project team know their views and ask any questions by visiting: https://yourvoice.westsussex.gov.uk/ev-chargepoints
Having listened to feedback from the first phase of installations, in future six chargepoints are being proposed for each new location. However, only two of the six parking bays in each location will be reserved solely for EVs, until demand increases. The other four bays will be available for all residents to use, in an approach that will be continually reviewed.
Cllr Joy Dennis, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “West Sussex is leading the way with EV infrastructure, and I urge residents to let us know what they think of the proposed phase two chargepoint locations.
“We have worked with our partners to take onboard feedback from our first sites and our proposed new parking arrangements will give more flexibility to those residents who need to park but who don’t yet have an EV.
“I am delighted with our progress as we see more and more people making the switch to electric. Carbon-neutral travel, powered by renewable energy supports our ambition of building a sustainable and prosperous economy and aligns closely with the underpinning theme of tackling climate change in Our Council Plan.”
Chris Pateman-Jones, Connected Kerb’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “The West Sussex Chargepoint Network will provide a shining example of what can be achieved if local authorities show the ambition to provide a network of thousands of reliable, affordable and accessible charging points for EV drivers without driveways. This project is a real challenge of scale but one that we are determined to meet to get West Sussex and the UK ready for the full transition to EV in 2030.”
