Blackburn with Darwen secures £1.6m for 800+ charging points
The first publicly accessible charge points are expected to become available from early 2026. The council has already begun preparatory works, including the creation of new parking bays in locations identified through the Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen EV Infrastructure Strategy. According to the council, sites have been selected to minimise disruption to residents, for example, by using gable ends of streets where no parking currently exists or disused parcels of land. The charging infrastructure itself will be installed and operated by an external provider.
Following a procurement process launched in January 2025, Connected Kerb was selected as the delivery partner under a 15-year contract. Installation work is scheduled to begin in January 2026, making the project one of the first LEVI-funded schemes in the North West of England to reach the mobilisation phase. Alongside the public funding, Connected Kerb will provide private investment to deliver a total of 826 new charging sockets.
Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation Minister Keri Mather said: “We’re investing £1.6 million to rollout over 800 chargers in Blackburn with Darwen, making it easier than ever to charge up on the go – part of our £381 million drive to install over 100,000 chargers across the country.”
She added: “Alongside boosting charging infrastructure we’re also tackling upfront costs when buying an EV with £1.3bn announced at the Budget to extend the Electric Car Grant to 2030 – saving drivers up to £3,750 off a range of new EVs.”
Councillor Quesir Mahmood, Executive Member for Growth and Development at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, said: “By securing LEVI funding, we can help residents and visitors in areas who only have the option to park on the street, without affecting existing parking spaces.”
Connected Kerb will deploy smart charging infrastructure. CEO Chris Pateman-Jones said: “We’re proud to partner with Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council on one of the North West’s first LEVI projects to reach mobilisation. Delivering over 800 new sockets will significantly expand charging access across the borough and ensure residents have the reliable infrastructure they need to make the shift to zero-emission transport.”
The project supports the council’s ambition to become carbon neutral by 2030 and aligns with the UK government’s target for all new cars and vans to be zero emission by 2035.
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