Councillors to consider installing electric charge points across the district
Off-street electric vehicle (EV) charging capacity within Three Rivers could increase as councillors consider a proposal to expand the provision across the district. Three Rivers District Council is set to push ahead with considering installing EV charge points in council-owned car parks using grants and funds secured from developers.
The council is looking at town and village centres, in Rickmansworth, South Oxhey, Croxley Green, Chorleywood and Abbots Langley. There could also be some scope to roll out EV charging points in leisure centre car parks and at the council offices, Three Rivers House in Rickmansworth.
Hertfordshire County Council has estimated that by 2030, there will be 240,800 electric vehicles registered in the county. It is estimated that this would generate the need for 6,800 publicly available charging sockets.
Members of the council’s General Public Services and Economic Development Committee will consider the proposals on Tuesday 19 March.
Currently, the district has 43 public charge points installed by commercial companies, but no public charge points installed on council-owned land.
District officers will be exploring external funding, such as the government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to support the roll out, as well as Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) money – a charge on developments – to fund the installation of charge points in additional car parks.
Officers will also explore partnerships within the commercial sector via the necessary processes to install, operate and maintain the charge points as well as bidding for monies from the government grants sent to Hertfordshire County Council, which it is required to share it out to the county's 10 district councils.
Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst, Deputy Council Leader and Lead member for Infrastructure, said: “The council is committed to its climate targets and ensuring the district’s infrastructure is sustainable and low carbon, as set out within our Corporate Framework. Switching to the way we power our cars and vans is key to reaching those goals as fossil-fuel powered vehicles will be phased out over the coming years.
“Many people and businesses are embracing this change, and that is why the district must have the right charging infrastructure to enable more people and businesses to swap over to electric vehicles, which will help decarbonise Three Rivers more rapidly.
“It has been very difficult process, not least the costs in some locations due to power supply issues makes it not viable. We must fund EV charge points in our leisure sites ourselves as they are not eligible for any government grants and I hope the committee will agree to a mixed approach so we can get some new points installed in the next 12 months in council-owned car parks that will give people the confidence to swap electric vehicles.”