EV charging in Saltford: B&NES Council responds to SPC questions on new charging programme
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Saltford Parish Council (SPC) has received further information from B&NES Council about plans for public electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, including potential provision in Saltford through the new Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) programme.
The information follows a presentation to SPC at its November 2026 meeting by Cllr Joel Hirst, B&NES Council Cabinet Member for Sustainable Transport Strategy, and subsequent questions and correspondence seeking greater clarity about the programme and what it means for Saltford.
Please find draft minutes from the November meeting (Item 6) on the ‘Meetings – Agendas and Minutes‘ page of our website. SPC thanks B&NES Ward Cllr Duncan Hounsell for acting on SPC’s request for support and arranging Cllr Hirst’s presentation to the Parish Council.
The latest responses provide some encouraging indications, although the Parish Council will continue to seek updates as the programme develops.
November meeting: Cabinet Member discusses EV charging with SPC
At its November meeting, SPC included a dedicated agenda item for a presentation by Cllr Joel Hirst on B&NES Council’s public EV charging funding and programmes across the district. This followed previous discussions and resolutions, including those reported in SPC’s earlier article about the new EV charging funding and the previously undelivered scheme.
During the presentation, Cllr Hirst confirmed that Saltford had been identified as a mandatory location for at least one community EV charging point through the upcoming government-funded WECA Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) programme.
He acknowledged SPC’s preference for the B&NES Council-owned Wedmore Road car park, although explained that other potential locations would also be considered. He also confirmed that the previous Green Recovery Fund (GRF) scheme had not progressed because of concerns about the suitability of the appointed provider. A new WECA-led initiative was pursuing an alternative provider through the LEVI programme, which was at the procurement stage.
Other initiatives discussed included a cross-pavement charging pilot and the potential use of on-street BT cabinets.
SPC Councillors had reiterated at the meeting their concerns about the lack of progress and communication surrounding the previous scheme, which had included proposed community charging points at Wedmore Road car park.
They also highlighted the suitability of Wedmore Road, particularly given the number of nearby properties without off-street parking, and the opportunity to coordinate any installation with the ongoing Wedmore Road Curo development works, potentially reducing costs.
Questions were also raised about the officer resources being allocated to the programme and the need for better communication with parish councils.
SPC’s Clerk reiterated the Parish Council’s willingness to work with B&NES Council to identify suitable locations and support delivery. The Clerk also sought clarification on programme timescales and assurances about future communication with parish councils.
In response, Cllr Hirst indicated that procurement was anticipated in spring 2027, with existing B&NES charging points expected to transfer to the new provider in summer 2027, followed by the community charging programme. He supported improved engagement with parish councils and suggested improvements to website information.
Following the meeting, Cllr Hirst and B&NES Ward Councillor Duncan Hounsell visited Wedmore Road car park with SPC representatives to view the Parish Council’s preferred location for community EV charging in Saltford.
What has B&NES Council told us?
Following the November meeting, SPC sought further clarification on four key areas: forward planning for electricity infrastructure, regular communication with parish councils, local involvement in site selection and the proposed provision for Saltford.
1. Planning ahead for electricity infrastructure
SPC asked whether B&NES Council could be more proactive in ensuring that electricity grid infrastructure is provided when planning and building projects take place, helping to avoid future delays and disruption when EV chargers are installed.
B&NES Council acknowledged the benefits of forward planning but explained that installing additional grid capacity in advance can be complicated, particularly because someone must pay for unused capacity until it is needed. Furthermore, locations requiring new electrical connections for developments do not necessarily coincide with locations where future public EV charging will be required.
B&NES Council confirmed that it meets regularly with National Grid’s local network planners to share information and identify opportunities for better coordination.
2. More regular updates for Parish Councils
SPC highlighted the importance of keeping parish councils informed about the progress of EV charging projects.
B&NES Council agreed that regular updates would be beneficial and indicated that it would be happy to put together a quarterly newsletter or update for parish councils. SPC had subsequently provided information about a central distribution list to ensure that all B&NES parishes receive the information, as well as information about B&NES ALCA meetings (of which SPC is a member) and B&NES Council’s Parish Liaison meetings.
SPC welcomed this proposed regular contact by email. Further to Saltford Parish Council sharing suggestions with B&NES Council on how it can engage effectively with parish councils across the district, it hopes that the information shared about Parish Council engagement will help establish more consistent and constructive communication as the LEVI project develops.
3. Involving local communities in choosing charging locations
SPC asked whether parish councils could be involved once a charging operator has been appointed and potential installation sites are being considered.
B&NES Council confirmed that it expects opportunities for parish councils to contribute local knowledge and comment on potential locations and local considerations during the site-selection process.
SPC particularly welcomed this response as it recognises that parish councils and local residents are well placed to identify the locations where charging facilities would be most useful, taking account of parking arrangements, community facilities and local demand.
Saltford Parish Council hopes this opportunity for meaningful local involvement will be built into the delivery process.
4. What does the LEVI programme mean for Saltford?
SPC also sought clarification about figures included in previous programme notes referring to 100 locations and 400 charging sockets.
B&NES Council confirmed that these figures relate to Bath & North East Somerset, rather than the wider West of England area. However, they are indicative figures at this stage and should not be regarded as fixed commitments.
For Saltford, B&NES Council has identified:
- One mandatory LEVI location: an on-street charging site.
- Two chargepoints providing four charging sockets at that location.
- Wedmore Road car park: a potential additional off-street location, which B&NES Council considers a strong candidate following updated guidance from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV).
B&NES Council explained that it now has greater flexibility to include off-street locations within the programme. Wedmore Road car park is of particular interest because it had previously been identified through the Green Recovery Fund programme.
B&NES Council stated that it was important to stress that the Wedmore Road car park is currently a potential candidate rather than a confirmed installation, and that the wider programme figures remain indicative.
Building on previous engagement: the importance of delivering for Saltford
The latest discussions follow a lengthy period of engagement by Saltford Parish Council with B&NES Council over the previous Green Recovery Fund-funded EV charging scheme.
As reported in SPC’s earlier article, the previous programme (first announced in 2023) included a proposed public EV charging hub at Wedmore Road car park. Despite almost £1 million having been allocated to B&NES Council through WECA funding, no publicly accessible rural charging infrastructure was delivered through that programme.
SPC repeatedly sought progress updates, offered local information and support, and raised concerns about the lack of communication. Following a formal complaint, B&NES Council partially upheld SPC’s complaint in May 2026, acknowledging significant communication failures and shortcomings in stakeholder engagement.
The new LEVI programme represents a separate opportunity to deliver public charging infrastructure, with WECA taking the lead on procurement and management of the charging operator.
Residents can read more about the previous scheme, SPC’s findings and the background to the new funding programme in our earlier article:
SPC remains keen to support delivery
Saltford Parish Council welcomes B&NES Council’s latest responses, particularly its willingness to involve parish councils in site selection and its proposal for more regular updates.
The Parish Council remains keen to engage constructively with B&NES Council and WECA and to provide local knowledge and support to help ensure that EV charging facilities are installed in locations that best serve Saltford’s residents and community.
In particular, SPC hopes that Wedmore Road car park will remain under active consideration as a potential community charging location, given its previous inclusion in the GRF proposals, the number of nearby properties without off-street parking and the potential to coordinate installation with the Curo development works.
The Parish Council will continue to seek updates on the LEVI programme, encourage meaningful consultation with local communities by B&NES Council on EV initiatives, and press for the delivery of practical, accessible public EV charging facilities in Saltford.
SPC hopes that the new programme will turn the opportunities identified into tangible improvements for Saltford.