RECOMMENDATIONS:

That the Executive:

1. RECOMMENDS that Council adopts the South Hams District Council Electric Vehicle Strategy 2023-2025; and

2. Authorises officers to enter into a collaboration agreement with the Devon Council Councill Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Scheme for the installation of Electric Vehicle Charging Points and to enter into a lease with the appointed supplier for a 20-year period.

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 AM1.5 within the Council’s corporate strategy commits the council to developing and adopting an Electric Vehicle (EV) Strategy.

1.3 Development of the strategy began in 2022 and was followed by public consultation in early 2023.

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

1.5 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 and recommends participation in the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Scheme.

2. Background

2.1. At its meeting 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 when arranged (Minute O&S.18/22(b) refers).

2.3. On 12 January 2023, the Overview & Scrutiny Committee considered the final draft of the EV strategy and recommended to the Executive that a consultation was carried out. On the 23 January 2023, the Executive resolved to carry out a consultation (Minute E.76/22 refers)

3. Consultation Summary

3.1. A consultation on the Council’s EV strategy took place between 17 February and 17 March 2023.

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

3.3. 261 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 presented as Appendix B of this report contains amendments to the draft presented in January 2023. Whilst much of the structure remains the same, some of the actions have been amended to take account of changes in existing projects.

4.2. Alongside small amendments to the background text, 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 we have been involved with the DELETTI (Devon Low carbon Energy and Transport Technology Innovator) and ORCS (Off-street Residential Charging Scheme) programmes, which has seen the council enter into collaborative agreements with the private sector to install chargers in our car parks, we have gained greater understanding around the installation and management of EV chargers.

4.5. To this end, 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.

4.6. Using the approved £170,000 budget agreed the Council has:

· increased charging capabilities to facilitate a fleet transition,

· Installed 6 x 22kW chargers at Totnes Depot (with a further 120 kW charger coming in November 2023),

· Facilitated a grid upgrade at Follaton House to install a dual outlet 120kW DC rapid charger (Due in February 2024)

4.7. In addition, using budget in the capital programme for Dartmouth Health Hub, the Council has installed 3 x 7.4 kW dual socket chargers in the Health Hub car park, which will be owned and operated by the Council. Should further funding be made available, it is hoped that the Council will be able to install the necessary infrastructure to allow the future provision of more 22kW fast 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 useage. 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 ‘South Hams Network Ownership’ model.

4.9. Our recent installations have shown what we can achieve ourselves. Accordingly, the EV strategy has been amended to reflect this in Aim 1 and Aim 2, as well as in the delivery section. Whilst a public and private concessionary model will be our preferred option for the hard to deliver sites i.e those with grid upgrade demands, we will be looking to monitor the ongoing use of the public chargers at Dartmouth Health Hub and carrying out feasibility studies on the rest of our assets where EV charging makes most sense. If successful we will hope to also offer installation to meet community needs also and discussions are taking place with a zero-emissions bus service to achieve that end.

4.10. In-line with Aim 3 of the draft EV strategy, South Hams District Council has been successful in obtaining £90k of grant funding through the Clean Maritime Demonstrator Competition Round 3. The consortium bid, led by Aqua SuperPower, ZPN Energy, University of Plymouth and Bournemouth and Poole Council will see the South Hams join a marine charging network across the south coast. Further changes include references in the marine actions to investigate energy solutions to provide power to off grid pontoons and decarbonise the Salcombe water taxi services in addition to the Lower Dart Ferry.

5. Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (LEVI)

5.1. Whilst we are looking to do more installations ourselves it is also important to lever in any additional funding where it is available. Through the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (LEVI) Devon County Council (DCC) has been allocated £660,000 revenue funding and £7,067,000 capital funding.

5.2. DCC will be invited to submit a full application for specific sites in LEVI “Tranche 1” by end of November 2023. Sites can be added after this date.

5.3. Based on DCC’s previous experience of chargepoint delivery we expect the delivery stage of the project to last until at least March 2027. There will then be an ongoing need to manage the chargepoint contracts for 10 to 20 years.

5.4. Officers intend to submit the following sites through the LEVI fund as these are sites which we would be unlikely to deliver ourselves;

· Sunbay Layby – Hope Cove

· North Sands – Salcombe

· Old Market – Totnes

· Strete Gate - Slapton

5.5. This report seeks Members agreement to enter the required collaboration agreement. This documents our commitment to proceed with the Devon County Council led procurement of an approved supplier and thereafter, enter a 20-year lease of the required car parking spaces to the appointed supplier. Please note, this does not restrict our ability to charge parking fees for those spaces.

6. Proposed way forward

6.1. It is proposed that the Executive committee notes the new approach to EV charging roll out, moving towards more in house EV charging installs but also continuing with collaboration arrangements so we can achieve faster EV charging roll out across the District.

6.2. In doing so, the Executive recommends the Council to adopt the revised EV strategy and put forward new sites through the LEVI fund in collaboration with Devon County Council.

7. Implications

Implications	Relevant to proposals 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 AM1.5 of Better Lives for All. This reports relates to the Climate and Biodiversity commitments of the new South Hams District Council Corporate Strategy
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

Report to:			Executive
Date:			30^th November 2023
Title:			Electric Vehicle Strategy Update
Portfolio Area:			Cllr John McKay Climate Change and Biodiversity
Wards Affected:			All
Urgent Decision:		N		Approval and clearance obtained:			Y
Date next steps can be taken: Any recommendations will be presented to the Full Council meeting to be held on 14 December 2023.
Author:	Adam Williams				Role:	Principal Climate Change Officer
Contact:	adam.williams@swdevon.gov.uk