1. Executive Summary
1.1 The Council adopted its Better Lives for All Strategy in September 2021.
1.2 Action AM1.5 within the Strategy commits the Council to developing and adopting an Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Strategy.
2. Background
2.1. At its meeting held on 21 July 2022, the Overview & Scrutiny Committee considered the following formal request arising from the Executive meeting held on 7 July 2022 (Minute E.21/22 refers):
“That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee be asked to consider forming a Task and Finish Group to support Officers in the development of an Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy for the District.”
2.2. On 21 July 2022, the Committee concluded that a Group should be established for this purpose and it was requested that it comprise of 5 Members. It was also concluded that the lead Executive Members for Climate Change and Car Parks should be invited to attend Task and Finish Group meetings (that would be held over Teams) when arranged (Minute O&S.18/22(b) refers).
2.3. During the summer months, expressions of interest were sought to serve on the Task and Finish Group and the membership was subsequently confirmed as follows:
– Cllr Birch;
- Cllr Long;
- Cllr McKay;
- Cllr Spencer (Group Chairman); and
- Cllr Thomas.
The Group was also supported by the Director – Strategy and Governance and the Climate Change Specialist as well as the lead Executive Members for Environment and Climate Change.
3. Task and Finish Group meeting summary
3.1. On 6 October 2022, the Task and Finish Group met to agree the purpose and remit of the task and finish group, which was to work with officers to produce a draft strategy document to be presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in January 2023.
3.2. Officers set out the context and work being carried out already as part of the Thematic Delivery Plans under Better Lives for All, such as, reviewing the vehicles at the depot and Follaton House, progressing with car park charging, as well as looking at the fleet of vehicles. At the same time, it was important to engage with Members to highlight the challenges within the community.
3.3. Through the first meeting, the vision was agreed (found within the appendix) and that, following the first meeting, an officer from Devon County Council should be invited to the second meeting to share what steps the County Council were undertaking and for officers to start developing an action plan and to consider resource implications of delivering this;
3.4. The Group met again on 10th November where officers from Devon County Council attended to present the draft Devon County Council EV Strategy. The main message from Group Members following the session was to align the District Councils EV Strategy with the equivalent Devon County Council draft EV Strategy as the ability to achieve further charging infrastructure will very much depend on close collaborative working across Devon. The Draft Devon EV Strategy includes recommendations that will require co-ordination of partners, some of these are;
· Fill the gaps in the private sector residential provision
· Provide on-street residential chargers
· Test on-street residential pavement gullies
· Deliver off-street residential hubs
· Leverage scale through Devon-wide funding applications and procurement
· Lead on local district co-ordination
3.5. For instance, a key area of action for SHDC will be to help build a portfolio of sites, so that the less desirable EV charging sites are packaged up with sites that are more desirable to charge point operators. This will be to ensure less desirable areas are not left behind
3.6. On the 8th December, the Task and Finish Group met again to consider a draft version of the South Hams District Council EV Strategy. An amended version of that document is appended to this report. It’s important to highlight that this is not the final version, which will be designed in alignment with our corporate strategy styles. The background and evidence base information at the start of the Strategy will form an appendix with the final EV Strategy to contain the overall vision, aims, objectives and actions only.
4. Proposed Way Forward
4.1. The EV Strategy presented as part of this report is in draft form currently, the plan is for this document to go through a design process to align it with corporate strategy stylings and to provide a more publically accessible document. Whilst the evidence based and background information is useful, this will form an appendix that can be used to support funding applications and demonstrate that our strategy is based on sound evidence and information.
4.2. It is proposed that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommend the vision, aims and actions to the Executive and that a public consultation is conducted before it is then adopted as an interim strategy. The interim EV Strategy will be reviewed upon receipt of the final Devon County Council EV Strategy to ensure alignment of actions remain.
5. Implications
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Implications
|
Relevant |
Details and proposed measures to address |
|
Legal/Governance
|
Y |
This report includes an overview of process in developing the strategy.
|
|
Financial implications to include reference to value for money
|
Y |
There are no financial implications as part of this report. The workstreams that will develop out from the action plan will either be resourced internally or funding applications made to support new EV charging infrastructure |
|
Risk |
Y |
None |
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Supporting Corporate Strategy |
Y |
This report relates to action AM1.5 of Better Lives for All
|
|
Climate Change - Carbon / Biodiversity Impact
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Y |
This report provides an update on the development of an EV strategy which aims to increase the uptake of EV’s in the area, thereby helping to reduce transport emissions |
|
Comprehensive Impact Assessment Implications |
||
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Equality and Diversity
|
|
None as a direct implication of this report |
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Safeguarding
|
|
None as a direct implication of this report |
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Community Safety, Crime and Disorder |
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None as a direct implication of this report
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Health, Safety and Wellbeing |
|
None as a direct implication of this report |
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Other implications |
|
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Supporting Information
Appendices:
Appendix A – Draft EV Strategy