Agenda item

To scrutinise the introduction of public electric vehicle charging points as The Council Plan 2023-28 – A Green Gwynedd.

Resolved:

1.     To accept the report, noting the observations made during the discussion.

2.     To recommend to the Environment Department that there must be a minimum of two charging points at every site.

3.     That the Committee receives an update, including the Business Plan and information regarding the provision in Gwynedd's rural areas in a year's time.

The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for the Environment, the Assistant Head of Environment (Transportation) and the Traffic and Projects Service Manager. 

It was reported that this field became clearer and gained a higher profile, with more electric vehicles on the road, reflecting the target for 2030 to reduce and then prevent generating petrol and diesel vehicles. It was noted that the department led on providing public charging points which was a priority project under the Green Gwynedd objective in the Council Plan 2023-28, as there was a feeling in some areas of Gwynedd that the private sector did not satisfy the need as in other areas. It was explained that the intention was to fill the gaps where there was no provision from other sectors.

Attention was drawn to the dynamic nature of the field, with developments happening often and quickly. It was explained that it was unclear where the technology would go next, but the ambition would be to have provision availability which would mean that the time it took to charge electric vehicles would be the same as the time it took to fill up a diesel or petrol car.

It was noted that work had already been done to install the charging points and there was reference in the report towards a 'Zapmap' website, which showed many new charging points across the country. It was noted that this would influence the Council's role when moving forward, as it would become increasingly difficult to coordinate and have an overview of the locations.

It was explained that the machines were now being installed in workplaces, shops, other developments and car parks that are owned by the Council near the Byw'n Iach centres. It was confirmed that work was underway to introduce more rapid charging points. It was explained that the focus over time would move from geographical availability towards how many points would be available, assuming that the demand would increase regularly.

It was noted that the Gwynedd Electric Vehicles Infrastructure Strategy was currently being developed, bearing in mind that it was not only the public charging points that required attention, but also the opportunity for people to be able to charge at home. It was explained that work was underway to look into how to enable people to charge on the street, although this could be complicated due to health and safety considerations and the Highways Act principles.

During the discussion, the following observations were made:

Thanks were expressed for the report, noting that there had been good progress towards creating an electric vehicle charging network and that the new and proposed sites had been welcomed, especially the rapid charging points. Concern was expressed that there was too much dependency on slow 7kW charging machines. It was elaborated that they were suitable for overnight charging but not for rapid charging in locations such as car parks.

The option of using bank cards to pay instead of cards or apps from specific companies such as GRIDSERVE or Tesla was welcomed. It was believed that using bank cards was a simpler way and that this was now a legislative requirement. Attention was drawn to the gaps in the network, such as Aberdaron, where the nearest rapid charging point was over 50 miles away in Porthmadog.

It was noted that it would be wise to secure at least two charging points at each site, as relying on one would lead to a risk of being stuck should a problem arise with the machine. Committee members were reminded that creating a public charging network was essential for residents who could not install charging points at home, and for visitors. It was noted that concerns and lack of confidence regarding the distance was a barrier for people to change to electric vehicles, and that increasing the number of charging points was essential to encourage change towards net zero.

In response, it was noted that feedback from experienced users was very valuable when developing the project and the officers would take attention of the points raised.

Disappointment was expressed that charging points had not been installed yet in areas such as Dyffryn Nantlle, despite the fact that the Council's car park and the Byw'n Iach Centre were located there. A question was raised asking why connecting these points was taking so much time and whether Scottish Power was responsible. In response, it was noted that Scottish Power was not responsible for the delay. It was explained that a request for funding in September had been unsuccessful and it was not possible to move on until funding was secured by the Welsh Government.

It was asked whether there was an intention to expand on the provision to car parks in Penygroes and Talysarn. In response, it was confirmed that the Council did not currently have specific plans beyond the ones noted within the report.

It was asked what plans were in the pipeline to expand on the provision in the future to serve all Gwynedd residents, including Gwynedd's villages, as the 'Zapmap' currently showed clear gaps. In response, it was noted that there were no specific plans beyond the current plans, but a strategy to move forward would be developed to get to grips with the challenge of ensuring provision which reaches everyone within a specific time.

There was a question regarding the charging times, expressing surprise about how long it could take, and it was asked whether it was possible to move towards rapid charging in the future. In response, it was noted that there were plans to introduce ultra-rapid charging points in Pwllheli, but this was challenging to be provided wider due to the quality of electric infrastructure in the county. It was further noted that there was a question regarding the Council's role in providing these types of points, as this could undermine the role of the private sector in the market. It was expressed that there was a need to discover the correct balance when moving forward in the future.

It was questioned whether it was possible to generate an income following the investment. In response, it was noted that there would be a better picture by next year as more rapid machines came forward. It was noted that the main challenge for the public sector related to how to maintain the service which would depend on the public use when moving forward.

Concern was expressed about the Dolgellau site, noting that one machine was out-of-order. It was asked how long it would take for the second machine to become operational. In response, it was noted that they were working closely with Scottish Power and were expecting to be able to offer a full service by the summer.

Support was expressed towards the observations raised regarding the need to expand on the provision of electric charging points in rural areas, such as Deiniolen. Concern was expressed regarding how people in rural areas would be able to cope with the change when approaching the 2030 limit when generating petrol and diesel vehicles would come to an end.

Concerns were expressed regarding how it would be possible to maintain the 'baseload' without fossil fuels, and concerns regarding whether the current electric supply would be sufficient to keep the system running. It was noted that more electric vehicles would lead to more pressure on the grid, and this would pose a risk of breakdown.

Considering the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, questions were raised about the impact of the development on well-being, noting that the prices of electricity were amongst the highest in the world for supply, and that net zero policies posed a risk of pushing people towards fuel poverty. Reference was made to the wider environmental impact, noting that creating batteries and the manufacturing process contributed towards carbon outputs. Wider suspicions were expressed about the net zero targets.

In response, the Cabinet Member for Environment noted that the observations related to political matters and not operational matters, and it was not the role of the Scrutiny Committee to make political decisions.

Reference was made towards an observation previously made, it was noted that there was a role for other sectors except for the Council to meet the needs in rural areas, providing an example of some areas where community councils or village halls had already installed charging points.

Support was expressed to the observations that there was a need to further expand on the provision for rural areas, such as Ganllwyd, Llanelltyd and Brithdir. Personal experience was shared of changing to hybrid vehicles, acknowledging concerns about battery sustainability but also noting that there were significant financial savings in terms of fuel costs.

It was questioned how the Council would communicate with the public when moving forward with the Green Gwynedd objective. In response, it was noted that the use figures to date had been positive and a sign that people were aware and taking advantage of the provision.

The importance of working with partners, including the grid provider, Scottish Power, was expressed, acknowledging the fact that the infrastructure in some rural areas were old, in a poor condition and insufficient to cope with the additional pressure that would arise from the net zero targets. It was noted, if nothing was done to get to grips with this, the net zero targets would not be achieved. It was emphasised that this matter deserved the attention and influence of the local authority.

       RESOLVED

1.        To accept the report, noting the observations made during the meeting.  

2.        To recommend to the Environment Department that there must be a minimum of two charging points at every site. 

3.          That the Committee receives an update, including the Business Plan and information regarding the provision in Gwynedd's rural areas in a year's time.