The council is one of nine local authorities to be successful in receiving funding through the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot scheme, backed by £20 million of government and industry funding.

The scheme aims to give drivers across the country better access to electric vehicle charge points, from faster on-street chargers to larger petrol station-style charging hubs.

In Warrington, it will enable the roll out up to 200 additional on-street chargers, across the borough.  It will support the council’s ongoing work, through its electric vehicle strategy, to encourage many more motorists to go electric and help improve air quality, as part of the drive to make Warrington net zero by 2030.

Warrington Borough Council’s cabinet member for transportation, highways and public realm, Cllr Hans Mundry, said: “I’m delighted that Warrington has been selected for the LEVI pilot project.  It will enable us to take further positive steps towards ensuring our residents have excellent access to on-street charging facilities.

“Through our Local Transport Plan (LTP4) and electric vehicle strategy, we've committed to supporting more residents, visitors, and businesses to make the switch away from traditional petrol or diesel-powered vehicles. This funding gives a great opportunity to enhance this work and encourage more widespread EV adoption across Warrington.”

The LEVI scheme aims to give residents without private driveways better access to EV chargers, as well as growing the charging network across the country, supporting the nation’s uptake of zero emission vehicles.

The pilot is backed by £10 million of government funding shared among the 9 winning local authorities in the first tranche of the planned £450 million scheme, with winning pilot bids supported by an additional £9 million in private funding. A further £1.9 million will come from public funds across local authorities.

The scheme will also give the winning local authorities the opportunity to provide feedback on how to grow the network and the role the private sector can play.

The other eight winners of the pilot fund are Barnet, Dorset, Durham, Kent, Midlands Connect (with Lincolnshire as a lead authority), North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Suffolk.