Agenda item

The Panel considered a report that provided an update in respect of the strategy for the installation of Electric Charging Points in Council Car Parks.

During the ensuing discussion, the following points were raised-

(a)   In response to some specific requests relating to charging point provision and location in Ivybridge, it was agreed that officers would discuss in more detail with an interested local Ward Member outside of this meeting;

(b)   With regard to the timescales of the DELETTI (Devon Low carbon Energy and Transport Technology Innovator) project, a number of Members expressed their disappointment that the project installations were not due to be completed in the South Hams until 2022.  In response, officers advised that the Council was only one of a number of project partners and it was agreed that the programme would be circulated to all Members.  That being said, officers would also like to see the South Hams installations advanced sooner and they gave a commitment to lobby the project leads in an attempt to achieve this objective.  This emphasis was considered by Members to be particularly important when considered that the Council had declared a Climate Change and Biodiversity Emergency;

(c)   Members were informed that, if they disagreed with any of the proposed car parks that had been identified for installation of the initial Electric Car Charging Points, then they needed to let officers know within the next two weeks;

(d)   Officers highlighted that there were a number of sources of external grant funding that could be accessed to install Charging Points.  As a result, Members were actively encouraged to advise their town and parish councils (who owned their own car parks) to submit bids to obtain grant funding;

(e)   The Panel was reminded that, as part of the current Budget Consultation Survey for 2020/21, Members were being asked for their views on any increases in car parking charges being set aside to install additional Charging Points in Council owned car parks.  It was confirmed that the views of Members in this respect would be included in the 2020/21 draft budget setting reports.  As an extension to the Survey, some Members felt that it would be useful for the costs associated with procuring and installing Charging Points in all Council owned Car Parks to be presented to the Panel at its meeting on 23 April 2020;

(f)    Such were the challenges being faced, that Members cited examples whereby customers were trading in their electric cars because they could not be adequately charged;

(g)   Some Members made the point that they did not wish to see any loss of car parking income to the Council as a result of this initiative.

It was then:

RESOLVED

1.     That the update report, in respect of the Strategy for the installation of Electric Charging Points in Council Car Parks, be welcomed, with the exception of the concerns raised over the project installation date of 2022; and

2.     That a further update report be presented to the Panel meeting on 23 April 2020 that focuses on:

-        The lobbying to be undertaken on bringing the completion date forward; and

-        The costs associated with procuring and installing Charging Points in all Council owned Car Parks.