West Berkshire Council has announced plans to install more than 600 new public electric vehicle charge points across the district under a long-term partnership with charging infrastructure provider Connected Kerb, supported by funding from the UK government.
The rollout will be backed by £382,000 from the Department for Transport’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, alongside private investment from Connected Kerb. The programme is aimed at improving access to EV charging for residents without off-street parking, such as those living in flats or terraced housing.
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West Berkshire Council said the charge points will be installed at a mix of on-street locations and public car parks, with final sites to be confirmed following feasibility studies. In addition to the initial deployment, the scheme will include enabling infrastructure to support a further 300 charge points in the future as demand increases.
Installation work is expected to begin in 2026, with delivery phased over the first four years of the programme. The council said the long-term approach is intended to support growth in EV adoption while ensuring equitable access to charging across different housing types.
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Connected Kerb will operate the network under a 20-year contract that includes a revenue-sharing arrangement, capped user tariffs and service level agreements covering performance and reliability. Ownership of the charging infrastructure will transfer to West Berkshire Council at the end of the contract period.
“This project is a major step forward in delivering our climate and transport strategy,” said Stuart Gourley, executive member for environment and highways at West Berkshire Council. “By expanding public EV infrastructure, we’re enabling more residents to support our net-zero goals by choosing sustainable travel and future-proofing the district as demand grows.”
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Chris Pateman-Jones, chief executive of Connected Kerb, said the partnership focused on widening access to charging. “This partnership is all about giving every resident the confidence to go electric. By bringing reliable, affordable charging to the areas that need it most, we’re helping West Berkshire build a fair, future-ready EV network that serves the whole community,” he said.