Six new public Electric Vehicle (EV) charging sockets have been installed in Stoke-on-Trent.

As part of a drive towards "greener, cleaner and healthier roads", Stoke-on-Trent City Council has installed chargers at Hawes Street off-street car park in Tunstall, Clarence Street car park in Fenton and Stoke Old Road community car park in Hartshill.

One 7kw charger will be operational at each venue, providing two charging sockets, and more charging points are scheduled for deployment throughout the summer.

Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for transport, infrastructure and regeneration at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: "The way people travel is changing, and Stoke-on-Trent can't afford to be left behind.

"Whether people choose to drive an electric vehicle today or ten years from now, we need to make sure the infrastructure is in place so that local residents aren't missing out on the opportunities and lower running costs that come with new technology.

"These new charging points are another step forward in making electric vehicle charging more accessible, particularly for residents who don't have access to a driveway or private parking.

"This investment sits alongside our decision to support a new fleet of electric buses for the city, helping modernise our transport network and ensure Stoke-on-Trent is ready for the future.

"We're securing investment, improving infrastructure and making sure local people benefit from the changes taking place across the transport sector, rather than seeing them happen elsewhere."

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The new EV chargers come as the council continues to expand cross-pavement charging facilities, which are effectively gullies running across pavements to allow residents to charge from within their homes without obstructing the walkway.

There are currently 27 'charge at home' devices fitted outside residential properties of EV drivers without private off-street parking and a further 59 applications have been approved for installation.

The council is using £525,080 of government money from the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) to fund up to 400 cross-pavement solutions.

This complements the £2.4 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure funding package that OZEV granted the city council earlier this year, which will be used for accessible public charging infrastructure in areas with limited private off-street parking.

To find out more about charging gullies (and the application process for installing one) or to recommend locations across the city for the installation of public charging infrastructure, email the council's EV Team at: [email protected].