RECOMMENDATION

That the Hub Committee RECOMMENDS that Council adopt the West Devon Borough Council Electric Vehicle Strategy 2023-2025 (as set out at Appendix B).

1. Executive Summary

1.1 The Council declared a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency in 2019 and developed and implemented a strategy and action plan in response to the declaration.

1.2 In support of the declaration, Action NE1.2 within the Council’s corporate strategy ‘A plan for West Devon’ commits the council to developing and adopting an Electric Vehicle (EV) Strategy.

1.3 Development of the strategy began in 2022 and public consultation took place in the summer of 2023.

1.4 Since the EV strategy was developed and consulted on, learning and reflection on EV charging roll out on our own land has taken place. This report sets out a new approach in this regard.

1.5 The report recommends that the updated Electric Vehicle Strategy 2023-2025 be adopted by Council.

2. Background

2.1. On 14^th February 2023, the Overview & Scrutiny Committee considered the final draft of the EV strategy and recommended to the Hub Committee that a consultation was carried out (Minute O&S 6/22 refers).

2.2. On the 7^th March, the Hub committee resolved to carry out a consultation (Minute HC 83/22 refers).

3. Consultation Summary

3.1. A consultation on the Council’s draft EV strategy took place between 7^th June and 6^th July 2023.

3.2. The consultation was survey based with links posted in Council bulletins, on social media and with a PR sent to media agencies in advance of the consultation beginning.

3.3. The survey was short and asked respondents to rate their agreement with our chosen actions on a sliding scale, the end of the survey had some open-ended responses where participants were able to write about opportunities for the council’s fleet as well as anything else they felt might be missing from the strategy.

3.4. Forty-one people responded to the consultation and out of all the questions asked, respondents predominantly agreed or strongly agreed with the actions. Appendix A contains a summary of the consultation outcomes and some written responses to some of the open questions.

4. EV Strategy Review

4.1. The EV Strategy 2023-2025 presented as Appendix B of this report contains minor amendments to the draft presented in February 2023. Whilst much of the structure remains the same, some of the actions have been amended to take account of changes in existing projects and timescales.

4.2. Alongside small amendments to the background texts, the aims have been altered to include reference to community chargers as this was highlighted as a need through consultation.

4.3. An important change relates to broadening the options for EV charging installations on our land, for both council and public use.

4.4. Since the original development of the EV strategy, the DELETTI scheme (Devon Low carbon Energy and Transport Technology Innovator) scheme has now been completed with 22kW chargers installed in Hatherleigh car park, Chagford car park, Bedford car park, Tavistock (4 bays), Mill Road car park and Okehampton.

4.5. The DELETTI scheme saw the Council enter into collaborative agreements with the private sector to install chargers in our car parks. The takes the form of a public/private concessionary model where we offer time-limited leases on our land for the private sector to install EV chargers. Whilst this method mostly de-risks the Council when it comes to management and maintenance and installation costs, we have little control over delivery time scales and pricing.

4.6. As a result of delivering this scheme and work elsewhere, we have gained greater understanding around the installation and management of EV chargers and have also carried out feasibility on further sites.

4.7. We have developed skills in-house to install EV chargers, created close working relationships with National Grid, adopted back-office management software to take care of payments and management, and are now registered with the Officer for Low Emissions Vehicles (OLEV) as a registered installer of EV chargers.

4.8. In view of this, alongside the public/private concessionary model and a private operator funded, we will look at options to fund the installation of EV charges directly and benefit from the ability to control pricing and usage. It is proposed that each site is assessed and, where relevant, a business case for funding be brought forward. The EV strategy has been amended to reflect this and establish a ‘West Devon Network Ownership’ model.

4.9. We are working with the Energy Saving Trust to establish what grants or funding is available for the different types of installations we are looking at as a Council, predominantly:

· Work-place chargers

· On-street public chargers

· Car park chargers (public/private/combined)

· Fleet infrastructure and chargers

4.10. We are currently carrying out feasibility studies for sites in West Devon and will bring forward plans and business cases for these in due course, in the first instance we are looking at Kilworthy Park and Okehampton and Tavistock Business Centres.

5. Proposed way forward

5.1. It is proposed that the Hub Committee notes the new approach to EV charging roll out and the option for inhouse EV charging installs alongside collaboration arrangements so we can achieve faster EV charging roll out across the Borough.

5.2. That the Hub Committee recommends to Council to adopt the revised Electrical Vehicle Strategy 2023-2025.

6. Implications

Implications	Relevant to proposal Y/N	Details and proposed measures to address
Legal / Governance	Y	This report includes an overview of process in developing the strategy. The Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 come into force on 24 November 2023. They apply to charge points which are intended for use primarily by members of the public and includes a charge point that may only be accessed during specific hours; or are situated in a public car park, whether that car park is available only to persons intending to purchase specific goods or services. The Regulations impose requirements on those owning or operating public charge points on behalf of the owner to (a) ensure that a person can pay to charge an electric vehicle by contactless payment without a pre-existing contract with the operator; (b) ensure that, by 24 November 2024, their network of rapid charge points is, on average, 99% reliable; (c) ensure by 24 November 2025, a person is able to pay to charge an electric vehicle using a payment service provided by a third party roaming provider; and (d) to provide a staffed telephone helpline that is available 24 hours a day to provide assistance to those using their charge points.
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
Supporting Corporate Strategy	Y	This report related to action NE1.2 of a Plan for West Devon.
Climate Change - Carbon / Biodiversity Impact	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
Equality and Diversity		None as a direct implication of this report
Safeguarding		None as a direct implication of this report
Community Safety, Crime and Disorder		None as a direct implication of this report
Health, Safety and Wellbeing		None as a direct implication of this report
Other implications

Supporting Information

Appendices:

Appendix A – EV Strategy Consultation summary

Appendix B – Revised EV Strategy

Background Documents:

None

Report to:			Hub Committee
Date:			21^st November 2023
Title:			Climate Change – EV Strategy Update
Portfolio Area:			Cllr Lynn Daniel Natural Environment
Wards Affected:			All
Urgent Decision:		N		Approval and clearance obtained:			Y
Date next steps can be taken: Recommendations will be considered at the Full Council meeting to be held on 19 December 2023.
Author:	Adam Williams				Role:	Principal Climate Change Officer
Contact:	adam.williams@swdevon.gov.uk