Gwent local authorities have been awarded £459,000 from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) to install electric vehicle charge points in car parks in residential areas.
Thanks to the funding the five local authorities (Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen) will work to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure across 33 local authority car parks in Gwent - installing up to 73 fast charge points.
The joint bid was put together by the authorities aided by the Energy Saving Trust and submitted by Blaenau Gwent Council. The project has also been supported financially by the Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales who funded a feasibility study.
Blaenau Gwent Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration & Economic Development, Councillor Dai Davies, said:
“On behalf of all the councils I welcome this announcement. The funding will help establish an infrastructure across Gwent to provide residents with opportunities to drive electric vehicles in the future.
The Councils and our key partners are committed to helping to preserve the environment by supporting renewable energy and lowering our carbon footprints. There are many residents in Gwent who are passionate about this too, by working with partner organisations we are delighted to be able to give them confidence to use electric vehicles now and for our future generations.”
Steve Morgan, Head of Operations, South East Wales for NRW, said:
“Following the declaration of a climate emergency, we have an even bigger role to play in both limiting the causes of climate change and adapting to the inevitable effects that come with it.
“This project clearly shows the benefits that can come from public sector organisations working together towards a common goal. “We are committed to working closely with our partners in this area to develop and deliver a more sustainable future for the people, places and future generations in Gwent and in Wales.”
The electric vehicle charge points will be installed in car parks near residential areas to support residents without off street parking switching to electric vehicles. Further details on the locations will follow. The aim is to address barriers to residential electric vehicle take-up caused by having no dedicated off street parking (i.e. no drive way or garage where an electric vehicle could be charged).
Notes:
The On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) is funded by the Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and delivered by Energy Saving Trust. Local authorities can apply for funding to support the capital costs involved in the procurement and installation of on-street charging points for residential use. The scheme increases the availability of plug-in vehicle charging infrastructure for those who do not have access to off-street parking while the increased adoption of electric vehicles contributes to improve air quality and lower carbon emissions.
An additional £2.5m of ORCS funding for 2019/20 was announced in August and applications are invited from local authorities. Further details are available with the application form at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/transport/local-authorities/street-residential-chargepoint-scheme