Council applies for On-Street Residential Charging Scheme (OCRS) funding to expand installation of EV charging stations for residential access
As more people begin the switch to electric vehicles, the Vale of Glamorgan Council is working with Cardiff Central Region (CCR) to acquire additional funding to expand delivery of public EV charge points across the Vale.
Connected Kerb has been contracted by CCR to deliver public EV charging points across South-East Wales as part of its regional delivery programme funded by CCR, Welsh Government, and UK Government’s ORCS funding.
The OCRS funding provides drivers with little to no access to off-street parking the opportunity to charge their vehicle, particularly when they are parked for prolonged periods of time, such as overnight.
Over the last 12 months, the Vale of Glamorgan Council has worked in partnership with CCR to support the delivery of the programme. 24 dual chargers have been installed across 18 sites in the Vale as part of Phase 1 of the regional delivery programme focusing on public car parks.
The Council has also been supporting the CCR on Phase 2 of publicly accessible charge point infrastructure over the last few months. A further 12 sites in the Vale are currently being installed, with a focus on Community Centres and on-street locations to enable residents’ access. These sites have been jointly funded by CCR, Welsh Government, and the ORCS initiative.
Locations were chosen on the basis that they would have little to no impact on the existing car park capacity and provide a significant benefit to both users of the facility and residents within the local community.
The delivery of public EV charging stations is an essential aspect of the Council’s Project Zero initiative of reaching zero carbon emissions by 2030.
Cllr Mark Wilson, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood and Building Services, said: “As part of our Project Zero commitment, it is important that the Council provides residents with the right tools and facilities needed to make the switch to electric vehicles.
“Providing EV charging provisions to the public is viewed as a significant, if not essential, benefit to residents in the local communities.
“Following the success of Phase 1 and 2 of the charging station rollouts, it is also important to provide Vale residents with access closer to their homes.
“Many people with no off-street parking access may feel reluctant to switch to an electric vehicle, but we hope that providing residential street access with Phase 3 of the rollout may encourage more of our residents to opt for EV alternatives.”
A submission to the ORCS funding has been submitted by CCR on behalf of the Vale of Glamorgan Council for Phase 3 of the public EV charging station delivery.
With 62% of UK residents unable to charge electric vehicles at home, the ORCS was established to encourage the use of electric vehicle ownership in areas that do not have access to off-road parking and charging facilities at home. Phase 3 will bring vehicle charge points to residential streets to be used by all.
11 sites across the Vale have been identified and submitted for funding. The locations had to meet certain criteria such as having wide enough pavements and roads, no obstructions to residents’ front door access, and ensuring they are near enough to an electrical connection as possible.
Updates to the roll-out of the public charging infrastructure will be provided as it develops.
The public charging infrastructure scheme exist as part of a wider regional initiative known as the Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicles Programme (ULEV). As part of this initiative, 8 taxi-only charging stations across Barry and Penarth were previously installed by CCR on behalf of the Council.