COUNTY COUNCIL PULLS OUT OF EV CHARGING PARTNERSHIP

By withdrawing from the consortium, the Reform Uk-led council says it can spend its share of the LEVI funding on ‘local priorities’

- By KERRY ASHDOWN

STAFFORDSHIRE County Council's Reform UK-led cabinet has voted to take back more than £4m funding for electric vehicle infrastructure from a consortium involving four other Midlands authorities.

Withdrawal from the Midlands Connect-led regional consortium, which also involved councils in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, means the Staffordshire authority will be able to spend its share of the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) funding on locally-determined priorities instead, a cabinet report said.

The authority was allocated £4.6m from the Government last year to help the private sector deliver public electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to help meet growing demand.

The previous Conservative county council administration joined the Midlands consortium, committing 90 per cent of its LEVI funding to a joint procurement for on-street infrastructure.