Agenda item

The Cabinet is requested to consider the report and its appendix and make the following resolutions:

That Cabinet resolves that the Council joins the West Sussex County Council Concession Contract for the planning, installation, operation and maintenance of an electric vehicle charging network.

That Cabinet resolves that Parking Services retains the remaining £36,700 electric vehicle charging points budget to enable the installation of EVCPs in new locations and/or the expansion of provision in existing locations whether the Council joins the WSCC contract or not and potentially in locations rejected by CK but where the Council wishes to see EVCP provision.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet resolves that the Council joins the West Sussex County Council concession contract for the planning, installation, operation and maintenance of an electric vehicle charging network.

That Cabinet resolves that Parking Services retains the remaining £35,700 electric vehicle charging points budget to enable the installation of EVCP’s in new locations and/or the expansion of provision in existing locations whether the Council joins the WSCC contract or not and potentially in locations rejected by CK but where the Council wishes to see EVCP provision.

Cllr Plant introduced the item.

Cllr Moss had requested to speak and was invited to do so by Cllr Lintill. He spoke in favour of joining the group. He requested clarification of whether the council would join as a collaborative organisation or as a key delivery authority (KDA) and what level of influence that would provide. He also asked why Northgate Car Park had been excluded. Mr Ballard explained that there are two levels of membership; the collaborative organisation or the KDA. The council would join in a collaborator capacity. He explained the difference would be that as a collaborator there would not necessarily be a position on the two working Boards. Any attendance to those Boards would be in a non-voting capacity. He added that Chichester District had 15 sites proposed in the plans following community feedback via social media. With regard to Northgate Car Park he explained that there is currently a project looking at the design of the car park. Cllr Lintill asked whether that meant that once the work had been undertaken it could be considered. Mr Ballard confirmed that was the case whilst drawing members attention to the Sloe Fair Byelaw.

Cllr Wilding asked whether the council would have a say in the position of the charging points in the car parks. Mr Ballard explained that if the council joined the contract then each proposed installation site would be subject  to negotiation with the contractor. If it was not possible to reach agreement on particular Council sites, the council would be able to install its own charging points using the funding agreed in the report.

Cllr Taylor requested clarification of when the 15 year lease begins. Mr Ballard explained that each lease would begin at the point of the charge point being installed in any given car park in the scheme. It was therefore possible to have different leases for different car parks across the district.

Cllr Lintill asked for more information on the profit share model outlined in the reports Executive Summary. Mr Ballard explained for every kilowatt sold across the network 1pence is put in a central pot. The pooled revenue is then divided up amongst the parties in the contract in ratio to the number of charge points that each hosts. Cllr Lintill asked whether the contractor would keep the charge points up-to-date as required. Mr Ballard explained that it would be in Connected Kerb’s interest to do so in order to maximise their use, revenues and return on investment.

In a vote the following resolution was agreed:

RESOLVED

That Cabinet resolves that the Council joins the West Sussex County Council concession contract for the planning, installation, operation and maintenance of an electric vehicle charging network.

That Cabinet resolves that Parking Services retains the remaining £35,700 electric vehicle charging points budget to enable the installation of EVCP’s in new locations and/or the expansion of provision in existing locations whether the Council joins the WSCC contract or not and potentially in locations rejected by CK but where the Council wishes to see EVCP provision.