Kent County Council is preparing to install 10,000 on-street electric vehicle charging sockets across the county, providing a major boost for Sittingbourne residents who live in terraced housing and often lack off-street parking. The project aims to make it easier for people to own an electric car even if they have to park on the street.
The programme is primarily funded by a £12,081,000 grant from the Department for Transport’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund. This capital will pay for equipment and installation costs, and Kent County Council has awarded a 20-year contract to charge point operator Urban Fox to install, operate and maintain the network.
According to Kent County Council, the work is especially important for areas with many terraced houses where residents cannot install private chargers. The new points will often be small posts or integrated with existing street furniture such as lampposts, or use low-profile bollards, to minimise pavement clutter and disruption.
The first phase of new installations is scheduled to begin in summer 2026. These on-street chargers will add to existing charging capacity in the town — for example, the Bourne Place multi-storey car park in Sittingbourne had its chargers upgraded in 2023.
By providing more places to plug in overnight, the council hopes to help more people switch away from petrol and diesel cars. The programme also supports local authorities’ wider environmental aims — for example, Swale Borough Council has set a net-zero target for 2030 — and forms part of Kent’s wider plans to modernise transport and cut vehicle emissions.
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