A report updating the Committee on the intention to tender for a suitably qualified and experienced partner to roll out an Electric Vehicle (EV) charging programme within Reading and to assure the Committee that any planned installation will be in line with the outcome of Reading’s Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy.

The Committee received a report on the intention to tender for a suitably qualified and experienced partner in order to roll out an Electric Vehicle (EV) charging programme within Reading. The report stated that any installations carried out as part of the resultant programme would need to be in line with and adhere to the requirements set out in the Council’s Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy that had been approved by the Committee earlier in the meeting (see Minute 28 above).

The report stated that the Council recognised that the move to Electric Vehicles (EVs) would result in the need to charge electric and hybrid vehicles on the public highway. The Council had already installed 15 lamp column and six other public 22kW EV charging points in the town and needed to find, through a tendering process, a suitably qualified, approved and experienced partner in order to deliver and expand the provision of EV charging points across the Borough.

The report explained that the tender would call for experienced contractors to deliver a range of EV charging solutions, including lower energy power charging from streetlighting columns or from bespoke charging bollards to various fast to rapid charging solutions within Council car parks or on other Council-owned land with potential charging speeds of 5 to 350kW. It was expected that the delivery programme would commence in Autumn 2024 and would take two-years to fully roll out. The programme would not require any direct funding from the Council, part of the funding for the project would come from the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Grant money (£860K) that had been secured by the Council with the other part being provided by the successful tenderer, either privately themselves or by them having successfully secured grant funding from Government-backed schemes such as the Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund (CIIF).

A long-term, concession-based contract would be sought that would last up to 15-years in order to provide financial stability for both the Council and the successful tenderer. The successful tenderer would own the above ground and below ground infrastructure and would be responsible for its operation and maintenance costs for the duration of the contract. At the end of the contact asset ownership would revert to the Council. Successful tenderers would be required to enter a contract with the Council that would include conditions requiring them to maintain any equipment and apparatus at their own cost. As a part of the bidding process, successful tenderers would also be required to put forward a long-term revenue/profit share or equivalent option for the Council to consider and would also need to demonstrate social value as well as a strong commitment to sustainability targets and carbon reduction principals in line with the Council’s Carbon Net Zero pledge and the Reading Climate Emergency Strategy. Furthermore, the Council would also review bids to ensure that its priorities and strategic aims were being met, such priorities included the provision of charging points in socially deprived parts of the town as well as achieving the best possible price per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for residents who paid to use charging points.

The report explained that it was anticipated that the potential income to the Council over the lifetime of the contract would fall below the threshold whereby Committee approval would be required in order to award the contract. Nevertheless, a report would be submitted to a future meeting and in advance of any tender award, to provide an update on the outcome of the tendering process and to, if necessary, seek Committee approval to award the contract.

Resolved –

(1)           That the intention to tender for a suitably qualified and experienced partner to roll out an Electric Vehicle (EV) charging programme within Reading be noted;

(2)           That any planned installation would be carried out in line with the Council’s Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy be noted.