Southend-on-Sea drivers gain a new charging option

demoduck.co.uk editorial team 2026-08-11 18:43 2 min read

An electric vehicle charging at an outdoor street-side charging point in the city.

Electric vehicle drivers can now use the replacement charging points at Alexandra Street Car Park in Southend-on-Sea. The equipment was confirmed operational on 11 August 2026 and is managed by Zest, which has replaced the previous Blink charging infrastructure.

Southend-on-Sea City Council describes the installation as the latest part of a wider programme to improve access to public EV charging across the city.

Reported by the demoduck.co.uk editorial team from a Southend-on-Sea City Council notice published on 11 August 2026.

Charging at Alexandra Street Car Park is live

Detail	Confirmed information
Location	Alexandra Street Car Park, Southend-on-Sea
Availability	Operational from 11 August 2026
Current operator	Zest
Previous provider	Blink
Wider public funding	£1.4 million from the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund

Drivers can use the new charging points now. However, the council’s announcement does not specify the number of chargers, their charging speeds, connector types, tariffs or payment arrangements.

Southend-on-Sea drivers gain a new charging option

Anyone who needs those details before travelling should consult the council’s Electric Vehicles information or contact its EV Solutions Team. The notice does not state whether an existing Blink account or app has any role at the replacement chargers, so drivers should follow the instructions displayed at the site.

Zest replaces the previous Blink equipment

The change concerns the charging infrastructure at the car park rather than the location itself. Zest now operates the replacement equipment, while Blink provided the former chargers.

The council says the switch is intended to provide more reliable public charging as electric vehicle use grows. No closure period or further work at Alexandra Street Car Park was identified in the announcement.

£1.4 million programme reaches across Southend

The Alexandra Street installation forms part of Southend’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure programme. It is backed by £1.4 million from the Government’s LEVI Fund alongside what the council calls a significant investment from Zest.

According to the council, the investment comes at no cost to the authority and contributes to one of the UK’s largest local EV charging schemes. Other councils are pursuing comparable infrastructure projects, including new public EV chargers at Stoke-on-Trent car parks.

The council has not published the next Southend installation location or rollout date in this announcement.

Source: Southend-on-Sea City Council

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source trail

This report is based on the council's published service update and distinguishes confirmed details from information not included in the notice.

Checks

Confirmed that the Alexandra Street Car Park chargers were reported live on 11 August 2026...
Confirmed that Zest replaced the previous Blink charging infrastructure.
Checked the stated £1.4 million contribution from the Government's LEVI Fund.
Identified that charger numbers, speeds, tariffs and payment methods were not specified.

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