Executive Member Decision Session	13^th April 2021
Report of the Director of Environment, Transport and Planning Portfolio of the Executive Member for Transport

Union Terrace Hyperhub – Planning Application

Summary

1. York’s 3^rd Hyperhub was originally intended to be delivered at York Hospital, Bootham Court. Due to complex land ownership and access issues, this site was deemed unsuitable.

2. Union Terrace car park was selected as a likely alternative site, as it is close to the Hospital and city centre. The site is owned by City of York Council and no obvious barriers have been identified which would prevent planning permission being granted.

3. A quotation for construction costs has been obtained from Evo Energy Ltd via an existing contract and a budget estimate for a new 1MW substation has been provided by NPG.

4. The project is expected to cost £900,000 in total and funds are available from existing identified sources.

5. A decision is required to proceed with the planning application for the Union Terrace Hyperhub

Recommendations

6. The Executive Member is asked to:

Approve Option 1

Reason:

· This option is contributes towards achieving one of the core aims of the EV Strategy; delivering an inner city Hyperhub.

· No other sites have been identified within the city centre which are suitable for constructing a Hyperhub whilst also being compatible with current LEP funding requirements.

· Moving forward with the Union Terrace Hyperhub will allow us to utilise the North Yorkshire LEP funding, in full, within the agreed time limits.

Background

7. The York Public EV Charging Strategy was launched in March 2020, setting out the next phase of the delivery of York's EV charging network up to 2025.The strategy includes the deployment of Ultra-rapid charging hubs, known as Hyperhubs, at strategic locations around the city.

8. £1.35million funding awarded by North Yorkshire LEP in June 2020 to develop York’s public charging network, of which £550k was allocated for the construction of a 3^rd Hyperhub located near the city centre.

9. Two other Hyperhubs are planned, located next to Monks Cross and Poppleton Bar Park & ride sites. An update on the progress of these sites and other work to upgrade York’s public charging network is provided in “Annex A – Public EV Charging Progress Report”.

Options

10. The following options are available:

· Option 1 – Proceed with the application for planning permission for a Hyperhub at Union Terrace car park

Analysis

Option 1

Description:

11. See “Annex B – Proposed Hyperhub Plan”.

12. The Hyperhub will be positioned in the southern corner of Union Terrace car park.

13. The Hyperhub will be accessed via the current car park entrance. The Charging area will separated from the rest of the car park, allowing 24hr access to the chargers, whilst retaining the ability to control car park access via gates or automated barriers should this be required in the future.

14. The charging hub mirrors the design of Monks Cross and Poppleton Bar Hyperhubs, with a central charging island covered by a canopy.

15. Three 50kW Rapid chargers and three 150kW Ultra-Rapid chargers will be installed on the central charging island.

16. Ducting and foundation pads will be installed, allowing up to 2 additional Rapid or Ultra-Rapid chargers to be installed in the future.

17. The cost to install one additional Ultra-rapid and one additional rapid charger is £98,000 and is not currently included in the project.

18. Four double headed 7kW Fast charge points will be installed across 8 parking bays in the main car park, adjacent to the Hyperhub.

19. A 1MW substation will be constructed to supply power to the Hyperhub and Fast chargers. The substation will have sufficient capacity to facilitate additional charge points to be installed at the site in the future.

20. Solar PV is not currently included in the budget for this project. A 36kWp solar system has been costed as a design option at £30,000. A number of possible funding sources are being looked at to allow this to be included.

Other options already discounted

21. A proposal to construct a Hyperhub within the grounds of York Hospital, at Bootham Court, has been discounted due complex land ownership and access issues which would significantly delay the project. It was also identified that planning permission would be challenging, given the close proximity to a number of listed buildings close by.

Implications

22. Financial
The project is funded as follows:

· £550,000 - North Yorkshire LEP

· £330,000 - CRAM – EV Strategy implementation

· £40,000 - S106 - Duncombe Barracks development

23. Human Resources
There are no HR implications.

24. One Planet Council / Equalities

· Hyperhubs are a key element in the Councils strategy in supporting the adoption of zero emission vehicles with associated air quality and climate change benefits.

· The Hyperhubs are designed with accessibility in mind. Charging bays are 2.4m wide with a 1.2m common area between each bay to allow wheelchair access to the charging units.

25. Legal
There are no legal implications.

26. Crime and Disorder
There are no Crime and Disorder implications.

27. Information Technology
The Information Technology implications of constructing the proposed designs has been considered and are included in the Project Plan. No issues are envisaged.

28. Property
There are no property implications.

29. Other
Approximately 15 general car parking spaces will be converted to allow the Hyperhub to be constructed..

Contact Details

Author:	Chief Officer Responsible for the report:
Stuart Andrews Transport Systems Project Manager Transport	James Gilchrist Director of Environment, Transport and Planning
	Report Approved	√	Date	26.03.21
Wards Affected:  List wards or tick box to indicate all					All	Y
For further information please contact the author of the report

Annexes

ANNEX A – Proposed_Hyperhub_Location

ANNEX B – Proposed_Hyperhub_Location

List of Abbreviations Used in this Report

NPG – Northern Powergrid

DNO – Distribution Network Operator

LEP – Local Enterprise Partnership

PV - Photovoltaic