Council plan to create up to 1,500 new EV chargers

Up to 1,500 new electric vehicle charging points could be created as part of a £1.6m government investment into infrastructure in Rotherham.

Rotherham Council is set to approve plans to participate in the scheme at a cabinet meeting on 15 December, which would ensure a minimum of 500 new public charging points are installed.

The scheme is part of the council's Public EV Infrastructure Strategy, adopted in March 2024, which set a target of ensuring the majority of homes in the district were within 800m (0.5 mile) of a charging point by 2040.

John Williams, cabinet member for transport, said the project would help to address concerns for households where off-street charging was not possible.

He said: "In June this year, 25% of all new car registrations in the UK were electric vehicles, and over the coming years that proportion will only grow.

"As a result, we will need to step up our efforts to ensure that our public charging infrastructure keeps up with the level of demand."

The council said it had installed more than 100 parking bays with public charging during the past 10 years, but it was expected to need at least 1,200 charging points in the next 15 years.

If approval is granted, the scheme will begin in late December 2025 or early January 2026.

It is funded through the Government's Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund programme, will be managed by South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and be facilitated by the council.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North