Grants will help schools and nurseries with EV chargepoint costs

DfT consults on speeding up charging point installation

The UK government has announced grants for schools, funding for councils and a faster planning process as ways of speeding up the roll-out of electric vehicle chargepoint.

New data released by the Department for Transport reveals that 53,000 public chargepoints have been installed across the UK.

The announcement of a package of measures is being framed as delivering pledges to support electric vehicle drivers made in the government’s Plan for Drivers, which was unveiled by transport secretary Mark Harper at the Conservative Party conference last year.

This is second package of measures delivered from the government’s Plan for Drivers and follow last month’s announcement of a crackdown on disruptive roadworks and better digital information to boost sat-nav accuracy.

New laws recently came into force to provide EV drivers with easier and more reliable public charging, mandating that prices across chargepoints are transparent, easy to compare and that a large proportion of new public chargepoints have contactless payment options.

Technology and decarbonisation minister Anthony Browne said: “We’re getting on with delivering our Plan for Drivers, and this latest set of measures will mean EV owners everywhere benefit from easier and more convenient access to chargepoints. This government has already spent over £2bn to ensure a smooth switch to EVs, and we’re committed to supporting drivers as we transition towards net zero in a proportionate way that doesn’t burden working people.”

Chargepoints for schools

A new grant will provide up to 75% of the cost to buy and install chargepoints, up to £2,500 per socket, up from the previous £350.

Paid for by the Department for Transport, the grant forms part of the Workplace Charging Scheme and is available for state-funded schools, colleges, nurseries and academies to boost the chargepoint facilities for staff and visitors. The DfT said this could also help schools to generate revenue by making their chargepoints available to the public.

The school’s grant is for state-funded schools and education institutions, which must have dedicated off-street parking facilities – applications can be made online. Independent schools can apply for funding through the Workplace Charging Scheme and the Electric vehicle infrastructure grant for SMEs.

Minister for the school system and student finance at the Department for Education, Baroness Barran, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for schools across the UK to become part of an ongoing move towards a greener public sector. Schools engaging with this grant will be supporting the development of green infrastructure, helping to improve their local environments. Developing a greener education estate is a key element of our sustainability and climate change strategy. The expansion of this grant supports our ambition to improve the sustainability of our schools in the ongoing move towards net zero.”

First LEVI payments made

The government has announced that the first payments have been made to local authorities under the £381m Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund.

The first capital payments for charging projects have been approved to 3 local authorities from East Sussex to North Yorkshire, and two London boroughs, bringing the total funding for these areas to more than £ 14.2m.

The DfT said the LEVI funding will support the installation of thousands of new chargers, ensuring the rollout continues at pace to support drivers in every area of the country.

LEVI capability funding will enable almost 100 dedicated EV officers have been newly recruited to support chargepoint procurement. To aid local authorities in building a skilled workforce and delivering their charging projects, the government is also launching the electric vehicle infrastructure (EVI) training course for their officers, which will open to all local authorities from mid-March following a successful trial. 

Speeding up chargepoint installation

The government has also launched a consultation to look at ways to speed up chargepoint installation across the country. The proposals would give EV chargepoint operators the right to carry out street works using a permit rather than a licence.

Permits can be issued much faster, taking days instead of months, and are significantly cheaper to obtain than licences, reducing costs for operators and speeding up the chargepoint rollout for drivers.

While the consultation runs, a new good practice guide has been published by the government to improve consistency in processing licence applications across different areas.

To help deliver on Plan for Drivers’ commitments, the DfT has also published a list of common questions and answers on the transition to EVs, including battery range and chargepoint availability across the country.

To provide further flexibility to individuals and organisations wishing to install EV charging outlets, the DfT is planning consult on removing the 2-metre limitation so that wall-mounted outlets and upstands can be installed anywhere within an area lawfully used for off-street parking.

Cllr Neil Clarke MBE, cabinet member for transport and environment at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “Through initiatives like the Electric Vehicle Cable Channel Pilot Programme and improving local electric vehicle infrastructure, we’re working hard to help residents without off-street parking, along with road users in Nottinghamshire, to charge their electric vehicles.

“We are continuing with our ambition to make Nottinghamshire healthier, more prosperous, and greener. Initiatives like this are a step closer to achieving these ambitions.

As a county, we must do all that we can to protect the environment, and that’s why we welcome this continued government support, which helps us to roll out electric vehicle infrastructure more widely across Nottinghamshire.”

Fully electric vehicles now account for over 16% of the new UK car market in 2023, according to industry statistics. The number of plug-in vehicles in the UK has risen to over 1.2 million, of which 770,000 are fully battery-electric, meaning more and more drivers are making the switch.