ELECTRIC VEHICLE INFRASTRUCTURE

Infrastructure for the charging of electric vehicles in North Northamptonshire has been given a boost with £3.25million from Government.

The provisional funding includes £2,895,000 capital funds for purchasing and installation costs and a further £351,780 for planning and delivery.

Bringing more on-street charging points into operation is seen as one of the main ways of making the use of electric vehicles more appealing and the funding will focus on areas with no, or very limited, off-street parking.

Funding has been made available under the UK Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund and is dependent on suitable plans to be agreed by the Department for Transport.

The council plans to submit a detailed business case before the end of the year to secure this funding. Work will include preparation of an Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy which will help to inform where the funding should be targeted.

Currently there are 128 publicly available electric vehicle charging points in places such as Corby, Higham Ferrers, Kettering, Rushden, Thrapston, and Wellingborough, but forecasts’ suggest that potentially more than 1,000 could be needed across these and other towns and in rural communities by 2030.

Cllr Graham Lawman, the council’s executive member for highways, travel and assets said:

“I’m delighted that we’ve been allocated this provisional funding from Government which will greatly help to create more charging points around our area.

“As a driver of an electric vehicle myself, I can appreciate the benefits of having an enhanced infrastructure would bring and I look forward to new proposals being brought forward.”

Cllr Harriet Pentland, the council’s executive member for climate and the green environment, said:

“Reducing carbon emissions is one of the key priorities for the council as we strive to be carbon neutral by 2030.

“Encouraging low-carbon forms of transport is so important to achieve this aim and there is also the added bonus of reducing pollution, which is beneficial for everyone.”

Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of the Council, said:

“This is a great boost to the North Northamptonshire area –as electric cars are the future of transport, bringing so many benefits.”

A church service and vigil will be held in West Northamptonshire one year on from the Knife Angel visit to remember those who have died through knife crime or been affected by violence.

This will take place at All Saints Church in Northampton on Friday, 19 May, at 7.30pm, followed by a candle-lit vigil in the church courtyard.

Cllr David Smith, West Northamptonshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Engagement said: “The vigil will give us the opportunity to stand side by side with all those who have suffered or lost loved ones due to violence, including knife and gang crime.

“This is very personal to me which is why I am passionate about speaking about this and raising awareness at every juncture – it’s about getting this subject into the conversation.

“Together with our partners and the community, I believe we really can make a difference and prevent further acts of violence on our streets. I encourage everyone to join us at this service as we unite against all forms of violence in West Northamptonshire.”

The service forms part of a month of activities, which will include free critical bleed training delivered by anti-knife crime charity Off the Streets. Free2Talk will also be offering mentoring for young people and will be stationing their youth bus in Northampton for young people to drop-in and learn about personal safety and sign up to become an Anti-Violence Champion.

Cheri Curran, mother of Louis-Ryan Menezes who was fatally stabbed in St David’s in 2018, will be speaking at the service. She said: “Now is the time to come together to talk about the effects of knife crime on families and communities. We need to show support for one another.”

The Knife Angel statue, the National Symbol Against Violence and Aggression, visited Northampton last year as part of its nationwide tour to highlight the issue of knife crime in the UK. The 27-feet-tall statue has been created by using over 100,000 knives and blades confiscated by the UK’s 43 police forces.

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An augmented reality version of the monument can be viewed in the Knife Angel App, available via the Explore Northampton App which is free to download from the App Store and Google Play, along with videos, downloadable pdfs and information for parents on how to look out for signs that their child is being drawn into gangs and carrying weapons.

There are also links to partner websites such as Community Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV) and Fearless, where people can report information anonymously, and a link to a map of bleed control kit locations installed by Off the Streets. The bleed control kits can be used to provide emergency aid to treat patients injured in a serious violent crime and keep them alive until the emergency services arrive.

For the full list of activities taking place throughout May, keep an eye on WNC’s social media pages. For more information and resources around knife crime and gangs, please visit the Fearless website.

The new tourism hub at Rushden Lakes has officially opened, coinciding with English Tourism Week, which runs across the country from Friday 17 – Sunday 26 March.

Run by North Northamptonshire Council and supported by The Crown Estate, the Discover Northamptonshire Hub is open 7 days a week, located next to the entrance of the cinema and promotes attractions throughout Northamptonshire, highlighting the abundance of unique offerings in and around our local area.

The hub was formally opened today, representatives from North Northamptonshire Council, West Northamptonshire Council, the Crown Estate and partners were in attendance.

The hub has been designed as a fully interactive space, promoting all things Northamptonshire, including days out, attractions, walks, town and village offerings, places to eat, sustainable transport, heritage, accommodation and local and major events. There is also a retail space, providing local businesses with a chance to showcase their products taking advantage of the 6 million visitors to Rushden Lakes annually.

Cllr Helen Howell, North Northamptonshire Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Sport, Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said: “It was great that we were able formally open and celebrate the new Discover Northamptonshire hub, to coincide with English Tourism Week.

“We are now open, and the team are really excited to be welcoming visitors through the doors to this fantastic asset. We will be promoting all the wonderful attractions we have throughout the whole of Northamptonshire to visitors of Rushden Lakes – some of whom will be unfamiliar with the area and unsure of what else is on offer in our wonderful County and further afield. I would also encourage residents of North and West Northamptonshire to visit the hub and speak to our friendly team – you never know what you might discover right on your doorstep!

“The opening is very much the start of the Discover Northamptonshire hub’s journey and the offering will continue to grow and develop and we are delighted to be working with our colleagues from the West to promote Northamptonshire as a tourist destination. We are also jointly in the final stages of developing a tourism strategy that will support and offer direction for the tourism sector moving forward. It is a very positive move for the industry.”

The Discover Northamptonshire hub has received £245,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. NNC are working closely with partners including West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), The Crown Estate and local businesses, as well as local schools, colleges and universities to provide learning and volunteering opportunities for those interested in working in the local tourism industry.

Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of the Council, added: “The new Discover Northamptonshire hub will have enormous benefits to the local area, encouraging visitors to Rushden Lakes to travel to the other fantastic attractions we have nearby and in turn bringing more money and footfall into the local economy.”

The Discover Northamptonshire hub is open Monday –Saturday from 11am – 6pm and Sunday 11am – 4:30pm. You can find Discover Northamptonshire on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, with a website launching soon.

The Discover Northamptonshire team want to ensure that all tourism businesses in Northamptonshire are being promoted to such a large audience. Any business or attraction who wants to be promoted on the Discover Northamptonshire website and at the new hub should email info@discover-northamptonshire.co.uk

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