Posted on Friday 25th July 2025
Staffordshire County Council has called for a rethink on how to maximise the benefits of greater use of electric cars in the county.
The Government plans to boost sales by putting more electric vehicle chargers in streets where homes have no driveways, so are unable to install their own charging points.
But council leaders say the £4.5million plans fail to address the fact there is little or no demand for this – and say if public money is to be spent, it needs to deliver the greatest, proven benefits to residents and businesses.
Ian Cooper, Leader of Staffordshire County Council, said:
”We want to make sure all public money works best for Staffordshire and the people who live and work here and is not just a target ticking exercise.
“We seriously question whether installing charging points in streets where there is no demand and where people are struggling with the cost of living, let alone thinking of buying an electric car, really is the best use of money.
“Not to mention the risk of neighbourhood disputes when families wake up to find someone is parked on their doorstep charging a random car noon and night.”
The council is now calling on the Government to allow Staffordshire to tailor the plans to meet the specific rural needs of the county, including exploring more community charging hubs.
The funding allocated to Staffordshire comes from the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund.
Ian added:
“We know that the vast majority of motorists who can afford an electric car also have driveways, so this plan needs to be urgently reworked.
“And from a county point of view, if the Government does have funding for this scheme, we would also like to see more investment in our roads and fixing potholes too.”
The county council is now considering pausing its role in the next procurement steps while it gathers feedback on its concerns.