Agenda item - Electric vehicle charging points

Report of the Executive Director, Economy, Environment & Culture

1)           That the committee notes the award of £300,000 OLEV (75% funding) to the council for new electric vehicle charging points and delegates authority to the Executive Director to procure a concession contract the terms of which will require the private sector partner to invest £100,000 (25% funding) and to supply, operate and maintain the council’s charging point infrastructure in return for a proportion of the fees received from the driver for charging.

2)           That the committee notes that the transfer of the existing free electric vehicle charging point infrastructure and any awards from subsequent successful funding bids for charging or related infrastructure during the term of the concession will be included within the scope of this concession contract.

3)           That the committee approves the submission of further bids to OLEV and other Central Government departments or bodies for on-street charging infrastructure, in areas with no off-street parking, as well as for charging points for buses, coaches, car clubs and taxis, and bicycles at other locations in the city.

4)           That the committee notes that officers have delegated authority to advertise Traffic Regulation Orders to allow for the designation of mandatory bays for the use of electric vehicles in those cases where an advisory bay has proved to be ineffective and further notes that any objections to mandatory bays will be brought back to committee.

5)           That the committee notes that officers will be working to facilitate the expansion of the rapid charging infrastructure with private sector partners and UK Power Networks.

11.1      The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director, Economy, Environment & Culture that requested approval for the expansion of the city’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure following a successful bid to the Government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) for £300,000 worth of funding.

11.2      Councillor Atkinson congratulated officers for successfully bidding for funding. Councillor Atkinson noted that as recent report by Electric Brighton that detailed that there were 272 plug-in vehicles operating in the city that was a 12% growth in the past three months alone and that figure was expected to rise to 600 by the end of 2019.  Councillor Atkinson stated that the same report highlighted the difficulty for electric vehicle owners to charge their vehicles and the high number of people who would purchase an electric vehicle if there were more charging points so the award of funding would go some way to removing those obstacles. Councillor Atkinson asked if there were any proposals for electric charging points in north or south Portslade as none were listed on the map on page 79.

11.3      The Parking Strategy & Contracts Manager answered that the 200 points identified were initial forecasts where it was known that a lamppost was located next to a parking bay and met other associated criteria. The Parking Strategy & Contracts Manager added the tendering process would determine how many points could be installed and if that number was above the initial forecasts, other locations in the city could be considered where they met the criteria.

11.4      Referring to paragraph 3.7, Councillor Peltzer Dunn asked how road markings and signage would help prevent trailing charging wires. Furthermore, Councillor Peltzer Dunn asked if permit holders could only use charging points in the zone that their permit was valid except out of restricted hours. In addition, Councillor Peltzer Dunn asked whether those with visitor permits could use charging points in the zone that their permit was valid and for confirmation that there would be difficulties in finding a parking bay with an electric charging point during restricted hours as they would almost certainly be occupied by permit holders.

11.5      The Parking Strategy & Contracts Manager confirmed that anyone with a visitor permit would be able to use a charging point within the zone their permit was designated to and anyone would be able to occupy an electric charging point bay outside of designated hours. In relation to road marking and signage, the Parking Strategy & Contracts Manager clarified that this was intended to prevent wires being extended to a distance further away from the charging point than was safe to such as over several parking bays. In relation to availability and demand upon  electric charging point parking bays, the Parking Strategy & Contracts Manager explained that officers were considering designating bays with some as mandatory electric charging point bays and some as advisory or shared bays with that system adapting over time as electric vehicle ownership increased.

11.6      Councillor Peltzer Dunn stated that the designation of mandatory and advisory bays did not appear to be detailed in the report.

11.7      The Chair advised that the designation was detailed at recommendation 2.4 of the report.

11.8      Councillor Peltzer Dunn asked for clarification on whether the advisory bays would be in line with the proposal detailed at paragraph 3.7.

11.9      The Parking Strategy & Contracts Manager clarified that the proposal was for all electric charging point bays to be designated for use by permit holders with a small number identified as an advisory electric charging point bay and a smaller number still designated as a mandatory electric charging point bay where it could be demonstrated that there was significant difficulty in electric vehicle owners being able to access the bay. That process would follow the standard traffic regulation order process.

11.10   Councillor Littman asked for clarification that the committee was being requested to transfer to a partner organisation its existing charging point infrastructure for £100,000 and if that was the case, whether that represented value for money, what the return would be and how the transfer and contract would be monitored.

11.11   The Executive Director, Economy, Environment & Culture answered that with new or emerging technology, an environment had to be created where sufficient infrastructure was available for people to feel confident to buy that new technology. Therefore, it was proposed to use the government funding available to subsidise the initial rollout of that infrastructure. The council’s existing infrastructure would be transferred to a partner organisation that would invest 25% of the costs in improving that infrastructure and be responsible for supplying, operating and maintaining that infrastructure. In return, the council would receive fees in return for driver charging by the operator. The Executive Director, Economy, Environment & Culture stated that the council did not currently charge for use of its electric charging points and the pilot would give opportunity to understand the implication of the rollout of infrastructure on electric vehicle ownership, how electric charging bays would work in the council’s existing parking regulations and schemes and that learning would be used by the council and government to determine what the next stage would be.

11.12   Councillor Wares stated that he understood the funding awards for such contracts was typically around £100,000 so the award of £300,000 in this instance was very positive. Referring to paragraph 7.3, Councillor Wares asked if the service could not be operated by the council due to the statutory regulations around sale of electricity or whether the council purchased the electricity and passed it to the partner organisation who then in turn sold that to vehicle operators. Councillor Wares asked that if it was the latter, what assurances could be provided relating to the risk that the council was reliant upon the return of that sale by the partner organisation and suggested that any revenue come first to the council who would then pay the providers. Councillor Wares supplemented that there was no information in the report as to how long the contract would be in place, the percentage of revenue share and payment terms and how the council’s infrastructure would be returned. Councillor Wares suggested that once the concession contract had been drawn up, that it be circulated to lead Members to assist their understanding.

11.13   The Chair stated that she could give assurance that lead Members would be kept updated and informed in the most appropriate way.

11.14   The Executive Director, Economy, Environment & Culture clarified that councils could sell electricity but only from a specified list of energy produced from renewable sources.

11.15   Councillor Miller stated that it was unclear what the rate of the return to the council would be and other details were vague such as who would pay for the existing electricity and who would liable for the increased electric bill when the charging points became more widespread.

11.16   The Executive Director, Economy, Environment & Culture explained that up to the point of transfer, the council was liable to pay electric bills. The post-transfer arrangement would be part of the concession contract. The Executive Director, Economy, Environment & Culture acknowledged that because the matter was moving rapidly, there had not been opportunity to address all the matters raised comprehensively however, the Chair had given a commitment to keep Members informed in the best possible manner before and throughout the award of contract.

11.17   RESOLVED-  

1)           That the committee notes the award of £300,000 OLEV (75% funding) to the council for new electric vehicle charging points and delegates authority to the Executive Director to procure a concession contract the terms of which will require the private sector partner to invest £100,000 (25% funding) and to supply, operate and maintain the council’s charging point infrastructure in return for a proportion of the fees received from the driver for charging.

2)           That the committee notes that the transfer of the existing free electric vehicle charging point infrastructure and any awards from subsequent successful funding bids for charging or related infrastructure during the term of the concession will be included within the scope of this concession contract.

3)           That the committee approves the submission of further bids to OLEV and other Central Government departments or bodies for on-street charging infrastructure, in areas with no off-street parking, as well as for charging points for buses, coaches, car clubs and taxis, and bicycles at other locations in the city.

4)           That the committee notes that officers have delegated authority to advertise Traffic Regulation Orders to allow for the designation of mandatory bays for the use of electric vehicles in those cases where an advisory bay has proved to be ineffective and further notes that any objections to mandatory bays will be brought back to committee.

5)           That the committee notes that officers will be working to facilitate the expansion of the rapid charging infrastructure with private sector partners and UK Power Networks.