Issue - items at meetings - A sustainable future for York with Hyper Hubs

The Corporate Director of Economy & Place to present a report which seeks approval to proceed with planning and procurement processes to deliver rapid charging points for electric vehicles, or ‘Hyper hubs’, in strategic locations across the city, following a successful bid to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for funding to support this scheme.

Note: This item has been included on the Forward Plan under statutory urgency procedures, as it involves a key decision and has been on the Forward Plan for less than 28 days. The reason for the urgency is to allow consultation and planning procedures to be initiated before May 2019, in line with the ERDF timeline.

Resolved: (i) That approval be given to undertake work in line with the report.

(ii) That it be noted that there are conditions attached to the ERDF grant.

(ii) That the initiation in May of the consultation process on design be approved.

(iv) That the initiation of the planning process after conclusion of the consultation process be approved.

(v) That the commencement of the procurement process be approved.

(vi) That it be noted that a report will be brought back to Executive later in the year to inform Members of the outcome of the procurement process and to ask their approval to proceed to award of the contract.

Reason: In order to move forward and implement a sustainable approach to EV charging to meet the council’s ambitions in terms of promoting sustainable transport, reducing the city’s carbon footprint and increasing the use of electric vehicles in the city, and to work towards increasing air quality in the city.

[See also under Part B]

The Head of Programmes presented a report which sought approval to proceed with planning and procurement processes to deliver rapid charging points for electric vehicles, called ‘Hyper Hubs’, in strategic locations across the city. This followed a successful bid to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for funding to support the scheme.

As it involved a key decision and had been on the Forward Plan for less than 28 days, the report had been brought to Executive under statutory urgency procedures. The reason for the urgency was to enable consultation and planning procedures to be initiated before May 2019, in compliance with the ERDF timeline.

The additional funding, approved in December 2018, would support the existing project for which funding had been obtained in 2016 from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles and the Go Ultra Low programme. It would enable a solar canopy to be erected at Monks Cross Park & Ride, Poppleton Bar Park & Ride and York Hospital, providing space for 1,400m² solar panels on each site. By combining solar energy harvesting and storage with electric vehicle (EV) charging points, these Hyper Hubs would reduce the reliance of EVs on the electricity grid. The aim was to increase the use of EVs for journeys in and to York, enabling a further transition away from fossil fuel vehicles.

In response to Member questions Officers stated:

· The main way to tackle people blocking spaces for long periods of time was to treat the hubs as more of a ‘petrol station’ than a car park. The management of this would be taken very seriously to ensure it operated efficiently; and

· The canopy would be South facing and was an optimal design for a solar canopy.

Members expressed their support for the scheme and stressed the importance of ensuring there was suitable infrastructure available for the move towards clean energy.