The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is set to invest nearly half a million pounds to improve infrastructure to make charging electric vehicles easier and cheaper.
Local residents taking part in the project would benefit from lower charging costs by utilising their own domestic electricity supply.
£429,000 has been made available to the regional authority to help residents without off-street parking to charge their electric vehicles (EVs) at home, without leaving cables lying across pavements.
The funding is from the government’s Department of Transport, following approval from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles. It would enable narrow channels to be cut into pavements for cables and then covered with lids, strips, or brushes, leaving the surface flat with the rest of the pavement.
WECA has said it would work with local councils to finalise how it would work, with a range of different methods and models already trialled elsewhere in the country, subject to approval at the next joint meeting of the Metro Mayor and council leaders on 17th October.
The rollout would be expected from late summer/autumn 2026. Grants of up to £1,200 per charger would be available, with a resident contribution/annual cost to be confirmed.
The Department for Transport has also approved submissions for Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, with Bath & North East Somerset Council ready to proceed with a further trial of on-street charging thanks to £60,000 of proposed investment.
This trial is scheduled to start from spring 2026. B&NES Council are also looking to work with Motability to explore how to improve access to home charging for Motability users.
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said: “I promised to get the West moving, and get us out of the slow lane on transport.
“We have secured a record three-quarters of a billion pounds of new transport funding, which will mean fixed roads and bridges, better buses, more trains, and mass transit plans.
“Green electric buses are already rolling out across the West, cutting pollution and improving journeys – with even more on the way.
“As the government works to reduce the costs of private Electric Vehicles, through this grant we will able to support more convenient charging infrastructure for local people across the region.”
Councillor Sarah Warren, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Sustainable Bath & North East Somerset, said: “This is important investment in electric vehicle infrastructure across our region. Making it easier and more affordable for residents – especially those without off-street parking – to charge their EVs at home is a vital step in helping more people make the switch to cleaner transport.
“This funding will help us trial innovative solutions that improve accessibility and safety, while also supporting our wider climate and air quality goals.
“We look forward to working with the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and our communities to deliver these improvements.”
