Agenda item

The Portfolio Holder for Environment said she was pleased to be recommending the report for adoption by SSDC.  All the Somerset Councils had declared a Climate Emergency and were working towards carbon neutrality by 2030.  She said the Electric Vehicle (EV) infrastructure in the county needed to upscale to allow the electrification of transport to meet both climate and air quality goals and the strategy document set out the approach for Somerset authorities to help deliver an EV charging network for Somerset to allow residents and visitors to move to using electric vehicles.  SSDC had already installed 3 chargers at strategic locations in Wincanton, Ilchester and Ilminster and the Deletti project would deliver a further 25 in SSDC car parks by the end of the year.  An electric car club was also being investigated and the results would be presented to Members shortly.  Many of the actions in the strategy were under way and involved all local authorities in Somerset and there were 24 detailed recommendations in the strategy.  One of the key recommendations was a submission to OLEV for on-street residential charging points.  She concluded that the collaborative approach would ensure the implementation of the recommendations and the strategy would be monitored and reviewed.  She proposed the recommendations be confirmed by the Chief Executive on behalf of SSDC and they were seconded by the Chairman.

During discussion, Members expressed their support for the strategy and its commitment to support electric vehicles. Their comments included:

·         Pleased to see the provision of EV charging points in supermarket car parks.

·         EV charging points on council owned property should be clearly signposted from nearby main roads. 

·         There were advances in contactless charging where vehicles parked over a charging plate rather than attach a cable to the vehicle.

·         A recent radio program had stated that 700 EV charging points needed to be installed each week to meet the 2030 carbon reduction.  This equated to two each week in South Somerset.

·         Ward members should be consulted on the installation of EV charging points in SSDC car parks within their Ward for suitability.

·         Reliance on one source of energy was a concern for a future monopoly on electricity use and cost.

·         Rural communities may suffer from a lack of EV charging points.

·         EV charging points must be positioned so that local communities can receive an economic benefit from visitors using them.

·         Partnerships should be formed with farmers who had 3-phase electricity so they could help their local communities.

·         Local generation of electricity was the way forward.

·         The strategy mentioned the different EV chargers available and those appropriate for the different needs of rapid and slow charging of EV vehicles.

In response to questions, the Lead Specialist for Environment and the Income and Opportunities Manager advised that

·         They were in discussion with energy companies in the move away from gas power to electricity to ensure supply of power.

·         Nationally, renewable energy was increasing and they were investigating the use of solar power to supply the EV points.

·         There were a number of options for the installation of EV points in rural areas. 

·         There were planning policies in place for the installation of domestic charging points in new developments.

·         Part of the procurement process with Deletti was a longer term partnership to add in links with Town & Parish Councils, community halls and business units in the future. 

At the conclusion of the debate, Members were content to recommend the approval of the Somerset Electric Vehicle Strategy by the Chief Executive.