Search: Brighton & Hove City Council

EV charging operator char.gy has installed its 5,000th public charge point, with the milestone unit deployed in Brighton & Hove where the council plans around 6,000 chargers in the UK's largest on street rollout outside London. The company recently installed 300 charge points in six weeks in Barnet as part of a 500 unit programme, and has secured contracts for around 2,600 units in Reading and more than 1,500 on the Isle of Wight. char.gy uses kerbside installations, often retrofitting lamp columns, with electricity matched to renewable generation through REGO certificates via a partnership with EDF.

Why it matters: The 5,000 unit milestone and rapid deployment pace, including 300 chargers in six weeks, demonstrate the scalability of lamp column conversions for councils targeting the 40% of UK households without off street parking. Multi thousand unit council contracts signal sustained procurement volume in the on street segment, with Brighton & Hove's 6,000 charger plan setting a benchmark for urban rollout ambition outside the capital.

Brighton & Hove City Council will consider a 20 year Electric Vehicle Charging Plan at Cabinet on 14 May, aiming to expand the city's network from more than 500 existing chargepoints to over 6,000 by 2040. The plan includes installing around 1,650 chargepoints in the next three years and a pilot to fit almost 200 pavement gullies for homes without off street parking, funded by £232,000 from the Department for Transport's EV Pavement Channel Grant. The policies were informed by more than 500 public consultation responses last year.

Why it matters: The phased rollout offers a clear procurement pipeline for charge point operators and installers in Brighton & Hove, with near term contracts for 1,650 units and a long term framework to 2040. The pavement gully pilot, backed by DfT funding, signals potential for scaled residential charging solutions in dense urban areas without driveways.

Brighton & Hove City Council has launched a private charging initiative aimed at residents who lack off-street parking. The scheme is designed to accelerate EV adoption by providing charging access to those unable to install home chargers. Details on the number of sites or installation timeline were not disclosed in the available excerpt.

Why it matters: The programme addresses a key barrier to EV uptake in urban areas, potentially creating procurement opportunities for charge point operators and installers serving dense residential zones. Councils expanding on-street or community charging models signal growing public sector demand for scalable residential infrastructure.