Agenda item

ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STRATEGY

To consider a report from the Executive Member for Climate Change and Transport Strategy.

Minutes:

The Executive Member for Climate Change and Transport Strategy provided a summary of what was contained in the presentation circulated with the agenda pack. The Executive Member then asked the Committee whether they wanted to go through the full presentation or proceed directly to questions. Committee Members agreed that they had taken on board the information within the presentation and so were happy to move straight to questions.

 

Councillor Carter thanked the officers for the information provided within the presentation and noted that there was going to be a large increase of demand for electric vehicles. Councillor Carter spoke about the people who only had roadside parking at their property and asked what possible options there were for them. The Head of Highways, Transportation, and Greenspaces stated that there were limited options as there were issues around cutting into the pavement due to other cross channels underneath. The Executive Member for Climate Change and Transport Strategy added that people were already running cables from their house to their car and putting something over the top of the cable. The Executive Member expressed that there was a need to change behaviour around charging cars compared to filling them up in petrol stations. The Director of Highways, Transport, and Environment spoke to the Committee of the range of options the Council were looking at to try to find the best solution for residents. Councillor Carter asked for an update to be provided in twelve months’ time to the Committee on what the best solution would be.

 

Councillor Axford asked why people would use the Council supply rather than private and whether each house needed an access point rather than having shared access points for the street. The Director of Highways, Transport, and Environment spoke about how the switch to electric vehicles and charging presented an opportunity for Councils to generate income and if the Council provided charging in the correct way that was accessible for residents they would use it. One aspect of this was ensuring that as many people as possible were able to use the charging solutions the Council put in place. There were various connections available with each car model only able to use one. Transport for Greater Manchester were looking at this and would release guidance on what Councils should do.

 

The Chair recognised the issues faced especially on terrace housing areas where it was difficult for people to charge cars outside of their home. The Chair thought the idea of having shared charging points on a street was an idea worth pursuing, although it also raised issues. The Chair agreed with Councillor Carter’s points about asking officers to continue to review options and reporting back to the Committee in 12 months’ time.

 

Councillor Frass noted that roughly 60 sites had been listed and asked how the sites had been chosen and whether it was done against need or ease of installation. The Councillor also asked whether the lamppost model being used in London could be progressed in Trafford. The Director of Highways, Transport, and Environment responded that in terms of site selection the Council were trying to offer provision to people who could not use their home driveway. With regards to the streetlighting the issues were around the conditions of the streetlamps and the Council were looking to roll it out in some areas.

 

Councillor Coggins asked when the charging points in regent road car park would be installed. The Head of Highways, Transportation, and Greenspaces answered that there were other issues around the lease, but the chargers were in place.

 

Councillor Coggins asked about accessibility of the charging points across the borough. The Executive Member for Climate Change and Transport Strategy responded that work was being done on this, but it would be some time before he would be able to answer the question.

 

Councillor Coggins noted that the report mentioned charging points in Council owned car parks but there were many places like the Stamford quarter and Stretford Mall that did not have any. The Director of Highways, Transport, and Environment responded that Stretford Mall and Stamford quarter were being looked at as possible sites for charging points and could pass information to the Committee about those sites. There were also a lot of the areas among Council properties where the electricity grid was not good enough to put charging points in place.

 

Councillor Coggins spoke about the need to change habits and how Trafford should implement a car club to help reduce the need to own vehicles individually. The Councillor noted that the technology was developing rapidly in many ways and how the Council would not want to spend large amounts of time and resources to install charging points with technology which might become obsolete within a couple of years.

 

RESOLVED:

1)    That the report be noted.

2)    That a further report indicating the best options available be submitted to the Committee in 12 months’ time.

 

Supporting documents: