The humble lamp post is about to start paying its way. West Northamptonshire is to host one of the UK’s largest local on-street electric vehicle charging programmes, with more than 3,000 sockets, most of them fitted to existing lamp columns, due to start appearing on residential streets from mid 2026.
West Northamptonshire Council has appointed operator Char.gy to lead the rollout following a competitive procurement process. The programme is funded through the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund and backed by substantial private investment, with competitive user tariffs promised.
The target market is clear: residents who rely on on-street parking and have no way of charging at home. That group includes a sizeable slice of the small business community, from sole traders running a van off the kerb to employees weighing up whether an electric company car is practical without a driveway.
For SME owners, charging access is often the deciding factor in whether electrifying a vehicle, or a whole fleet, stacks up. The rollout also lands amid a wider policy shift towards kerbside infrastructure, after ministers redirected £400 million towards on-street chargers in underserved areas, and as workplace charging becomes a benefit employees increasingly expect.
Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation Minister Keir Mather said: “Drivers in West Northamptonshire will soon have thousands more reasons to go electric, with over 3,000 new public charge points rolling out thanks to £2.85m of government funding.
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