£290m EV Charging Concessions Awarded in South-East London 2026

Key Points

• The London Borough of Lewisham and the Royal Borough of Greenwich have awarded major electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure concession contracts worth a combined estimated value of £290.1 million.
• Believ Limited secured two principal contract lots across the south-east London local authorities, valued at over £214 million.
• Lewisham Council officially approved its specific contract allocation worth £107 million with Believ Limited.
• The concession agreements span an initial period of 15 years, with built-in provisions allowing for a potential one-year extension.
• The selected private sector partners will be fully responsible for the end-to-end deployment, operation, and ongoing maintenance of the charging points.
• Contract performance commenced following final approvals in late summer 2026, aimed at dramatically accelerating public EV charging accessibility for residents lacking private off-street parking.

Lewisham and Greenwich (South London News) October 22, 2026 — The London Borough of Lewisham and the Royal Borough of Greenwich have formally completed the procurement process for multi-million-pound electric vehicle charging infrastructure concessions. The joint effort has resulted in the selection of private sector operators to roll out, manage, and maintain thousands of public charging points across south-east London under long-term contract agreements.

The total estimated aggregate value of the awarded concessions reaches £290.1 million across all individual contract lots. Leading charge point operator Believ Limited secured two primary lots within the scheme, representing a total financial allocation of over £214 million. As part of this wider joint framework, Lewisham Council formally signed off on a contract lot valued at £107 million directly with Believ Limited.

Under the terms established by the local authorities, the concessions carry a primary duration of 15 years. The framework agreement incorporates an optional clause permitting a further one-year extension subject to operational performance and council discretion. The concessionaires assume full financial and operational responsibility for the installation, routine maintenance, dynamic software management, and day-to-day operation of the infrastructure network throughout the term. The phased delivery of charge points began rollout following the formal commencement of contracts in the late summer.

Why Have Lewisham and Greenwich Council Awarded These EV Concessions?

The primary driver behind the £290.1 million concession scheme is the urgent requirement to expand public charging infrastructure for urban residents who do not have access to private off-street driveways or garages. A significant proportion of households within both Lewisham and Greenwich consist of terraced housing and multi-occupancy block apartments. Without dedicated off-street parking, residents face substantial physical hurdles when attempting to charge an electric vehicle at home overnight.

By entering into long-term concession agreements with private operators, the local authorities are able to facilitate substantial capital investment into local kerbside infrastructure. This commercial model allows councils to expand public amenities without committing upfront taxpayer capital, as concessionaires fund equipment procurement and installation in exchange for long-term operational rights and revenue streams.

The initiative aligns directly with broader municipal climate action goals, statutory air quality targets, and national decarbonisation policies. Local authorities across London face expanding zero-emission targets, rendering local, accessible charging infrastructure essential to encourage motorists to transition away from internal combustion engine vehicles.

What Do the Specific Contract Details and Lot Allocations Entail?

The concession structure was divided into distinct commercial lots covering distinct geographic segments and charging speed profiles across the two borough jurisdictions. Believ Limited emerged as the primary operator, securing two key lots with a combined valuation exceeding £214 million.

As documented in local authority decision reports, Lewisham Council approved its individual £107 million arrangement with Believ Limited to cover the supply, installation, and ongoing maintenance of charging hardware. The remaining contract packages complete the £290.1 million total, establishing coverage across public car parks, residential kerbsides, and designated commercial hubs in Greenwich and Lewisham.

The contract structure requires operators to maintain strict operational standards, minimum network uptime levels, and standard safety protocols. The 15-year operational term provides the chosen private partners with the long-term commercial visibility necessary to amortize their initial capital investments while ensuring consistent maintenance across the lifespan of the assets.

How Will the Infrastructure Be Implemented Across South-East London?

The rollout strategy prioritises a balanced mix of charging technologies designed to meet varied driver needs. The installations will encompass low-power lamp-column chargers, standard fast chargers (7kW to 22kW) situated on residential streets, and higher-capacity rapid or ultra-rapid chargers located near key transport corridors and commercial centers.

Lamp-column and kerbside bollard chargers are planned extensively across high-density residential areas. These allow drivers to plug in overnight near their homes. Fast and rapid hubs will cater to higher-mileage commercial drivers, taxi fleets, delivery operators, and visitors requiring quicker top-ups during the working day.

The installation process involves site surveys, electrical grid connection assessments alongside local distribution network operators (DNOs), civil engineering works, and physical equipment deployment. Phased construction maps have been structured to minimize local traffic disruptions during cable trenching and street furniture integration.

Background of the Particular Development

The award of these concessions represents a significant evolution in how UK local authorities fund and manage public utility expansions. Historically, early EV charging points deployed across London boroughs between 2015 and 2020 relied heavily on direct public grant funding, such as the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) managed by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV). These early implementations were often small-scale, fragmented, and delivered through short-term supplier arrangements.

As EV adoption accelerated across the United Kingdom, local councils recognized that grant-funded piecemeal deployments could not match the required scale of network expansion. Transitioning to long-term concession models shifted financial exposure and ongoing risk to specialist private infrastructure funds and operators.

Under a typical concession structure, private operators provide the required capital expenditure, leverage private investment capital, handle grid connections, and undertake ongoing maintenance. In exchange, operators retain consumer charging revenues while paying local authorities statutory street access fees or revenue-share percentages.

This £290.1 million joint initiative between Lewisham and Greenwich reflects a growing trend towards cross-borough collaborative procurement. By pooling resources and tendering larger geographic footprints, local authorities can secure greater commercial interest, improved economies of scale, and standardized service quality for residents crossing municipal boundaries.

Prediction: How This Development Can Affect London Residents and EV Drivers

The deployment of this £290.1 million concession network is projected to bring direct operational and financial consequences for residents, EV owners, local businesses, and municipal planners across south-east London.

1. Residential Drivers Without Off-Street Parking

For local households without driveways, the physical availability of reliable nearby kerbside charging will directly eliminate one of the largest obstacles to electric vehicle ownership. Residents can expect a significant increase in nearby charging options on residential streets, reducing the necessity to rely solely on commercial hub charging or petrol station charge points. Furthermore, long-term contracts ensure standard pricing structures and regular hardware upkeep, mitigating common complaints regarding broken or unreliable public chargers.

2. Fleet, Taxi, and Commercial Vehicle Operators

Commercial operators, including rideshare drivers, local tradespeople, and urban delivery fleets, will benefit from expanded fast and rapid charging capacity. Enhanced rapid infrastructure in commercial town centres and along major arterial routes reduces vehicle downtime during working hours, lowering operational costs for businesses transitioning their light commercial fleets to zero-emission models.

3. Local Air Quality and Municipal Transport Goals

At the community level, expanding accessible public charging is expected to accelerate the replacement of older diesel and petrol vehicles. This shift will contribute positively to local air quality goals, reducing tailpipe nitrogen dioxide ($NO_2$NO2​) and particulate emissions across Lewisham and Greenwich. Additionally, establishing standardized street furniture layouts ensures that charging cables and hardware are integrated safely without creating excessive footway obstruction for pedestrians or mobility-impaired residents.