EV charging advice for parish councils and local members

In keeping with our Electric Vehicle (EV) Strategy, we're committed to helping parishes and other local bodies find EV charging solutions.

This is so more residents, visitors and customers in Norfolk can access EV charging.

So far we've contributed to successful installations of parish-based charging points. We're currently arranging others.

This community-focused electric vehicle chargepoint (EVCP) network is known as the 'Plug in Norfolk' initiative.

Funding the installation of charging points

We carried out our earliest installations using Local Member Funding (LMF). EV installations came into scope for this in 2021.

We have since been successful in securing a large amount of grant funding through the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund. This is funded by HM government and can be used to provide EV charging installations at parish locations. LMF can also be used to supplement the cost of these installations.

As well as providing funding for the procurement and installation or chargepoints, we are able to fund the back-office and maintenance costs associated with the chargepoints. We are hoping to be able to do this for the next seven years, subject to available funding. Further details can be found in our terms and conditions further down this page.

From April 2023, the Parish Partnership Funding scheme has included EV charging installations. Please contact the Norfolk County Council Maintenance Engineer for your area to enquire about this initiative. This fund will match contributions from the parish or even a contribution from the LMF.

The cost of installation varies according to site conditions. For example, the distance between a sufficient power source and the proposed charge point and the type of charger. The closer to the power supply the cheaper the installation will be.

Contact the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure team at evehicles@norfolk.gov.uk for more advice on what may be possible.

Requirements and considerations

To find out whether an EV chargepoint would work in your parish, consider the following.

Location

Your parish will need to have somewhere suitable to locate the chargepoint. We recommend placing chargers on parish or community-owned land where possible.

Supply

A suitable electricity supply must be readily available for the chargepoint(s). We've found that using supplies at village halls and community centres is usually enough for a 7kW charger, and in some cases a 22kW charger may be possible.

In rural areas, there may be constraints on the power grid and limitations on what's achievable.

Number of chargers

To comply with funding requirements, a two-socket system will be required as a minimum. This will allow two EVs to charge at once.

This may be in the form of:

A single charging pillar with two sockets
Two individual wall-mounted chargers with one socket each

It may be possible to install more than one charger at the location, but this will depend on available power supply.

Access to site

It's important that EV chargers are accessible for use day or night. Local users may wish to charge their car overnight at the charger.

We'd ask that any premises where you site chargers are not gated and are accessible. For certain types of funding, this is a requirement.

Accessibility

New guidelines require that we consider disabled access for all sites. This includes sizing of any bays, and access to and interface with the charger itself.

Funding conditions

Should your parish council wish to explore grant funding for the installation of chargepoints, there are several conditions attached. These include some stated above.

Significant points to qualify for funding include:

Any chargers must be within reasonable distance of properties without off-street parking
The chargers are on land that's either Local Authority-owned or where there's an agreement for the Local Authority to use it in this manner

All applications for ORCS funding must be by a local authority such as a parish, district, borough or county council.

Norfolk County Council conditions

Should we provide funding for EV facilities, you must agree to a list of Terms and Conditions in writing before going ahead with the works.

Terms and conditions for LMF and Plug in Norfolk:

Other projects and funding options

As well as providing chargers at parish and community premises, we have successfully applied for funding to roll out EV chargers at on-street locations across the county.

This option may be particularly useful in parishes that do not have suitable village halls or community centres but have a large proportion of properties without driveways, such as terraced houses or flats where cars park on the street.

For these locations, we will be appointing a chargepoint operator (CPO) to install and run the chargepoints.

We are in the process of assessing possible sites. If you would like your parish to be considered, please feel free to contact the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure team at evehicles@norfolk.gov.uk.

What an EV charger can bring to your parish

From 2035, there will be a ban on sales of new internal combustion engine (ICE) cars in the UK.

EVs are already experiencing sale growth at an astonishing rate - you will be seeing more and more of them on your roads.

Having an EV charger in a public location at your parish can provide various benefits:

A facility for people living in the parish who can't charge an EV at home or want to try owning an EV without going to the expense of installing a home charger
A public charging facility for visitors or residents who don't have their own chargepoint
A destination chargepoint for people visiting the parish for events or to use its amenities
Peace of mind for tourists during a day trip or stay in Norfolk

Innovations

Improving technology is at the forefront of the EV industry.

In some areas of Norfolk, grid capacity may be a barrier to better charging facilities. So we're exploring the possibility of renewable energy in the form of solar carports. These would supplement the energy needed for charging and can generate even in inclement weather.

As with other solar apparatus, it may be possible for these to be subject to a Power Purchase agreement. The manufacture and installation of these will need significant external funding. This is something we are considering as a future measure as funding allows.

We're interested to receive any expressions of interest from parish councils who feel this would be for them.

How Norfolk County Council can help you

We want to help any parish who wants charging facilities and can meet the criteria provided. You can send enquiries to evehicles@norfolk.gov.uk.

Most parish councils have a close working relationship with their Local Member and can make a direct enquiry about funding. But we're happy to engage with your Local Member if we receive a direct expression of interest from you.

We're talking to district and borough councils about how best to help parishes, particularly those in rural areas. If you wish for us to speak with your district or borough about their EV plans, please feel free to ask us.

If you're interested in EV charging but need technical help, we can engage a local installer. They will be able to visit the site with an NCC officer and assess the feasibility of an installation. This installer will provide a no-obligation quote after their visit.

We're currently exploring the possibility of including multiple parishes in rural areas as part of a 'batch' of sites for a turnkey operator to look at. If you're interested in having EV facilities but do not have the GPoC or do not feel you would be able to run and maintain the chargers, let us know.