Decision details

The Service Director, Democratic Services & Communication advised Cabinet of the findings and ten recommendations of the Scrutiny Working Group which was established to consider the development of Infrastructure to support Low Carbon Vehicle Ownership in Rhondda Cynon Taf following the Notice of Motion considered by Council at its meeting held on the 28th February 2018.

Members were advised that all ten recommendations, were endorsed at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the 3rd September 2019 (subject to minor amendments to recommendation 9) and were reported to Council on the 18th September 2019.

Members thanked the Overview & Scrutiny Committee for the work undertaken and RESOLVED:

1.    To note the work of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee working group as detailed within the Appendix of the report.

2.    In principle to each of the ten recommendations  listed below, subject to further consideration by the Cabinet Portfolio holders for this area, following which a detailed response is provided to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee:

                      i.        ‘The Council should seek to enhance the availability and accessibility of public   access EV charging in the short term at key Council locations such as leisure centres and tourist destinations’.

                    ii.         ‘The Council should consider steps to facilitate infrastructure to support the predicted increase in electric vehicle usage and consider how these steps might encourage residents across all areas of RCT to opt to purchase an electric vehicle. As part of this the Council should involve residents and collaborate with businesses and the wider public sector in the development of these proposals. The Council should also consider the commercial opportunities available to it.’

                   iii.         ‘The Council should consider developing supplementary planning guidance to ensure that fast-charging infrastructure can be supported both in residential and non-residential development. Looking to the future, the Council should consider now, how wider urban design could complement the evolution to electrified transport and wider changes in mobility and transport behaviour in the longer term. The Council should avoid considering EV infrastructure as a single issue, but instead should take an integrated approach by considering how energy generation and supply to support the wider reduction of carbon footprint. The Scrutiny Working Group believes a proactive approach could prevent any future challenges from the outset and prevent the Council from being penalised financially should strict financial penalties for higher emission vehicles be introduced’.

                   iv.         ‘As part of future fleet renewal, the Council should seek where possible to replace current petrol or diesel vehicles, with Electric Vehicles. Where range of such vehicles may currently cause operational issues, the Council should consider hybrid/mild-hybrid options or the latest technology petrol/diesel options which meet or exceed Euro 6. The Working Group believes that this could be done via a trial of electric/hybrid electric vehicles within an appropriate Council Service such as Meals on Wheels to see how it can be viable and cost effective for the Council going forward. As a result of the pace of improvement in Electric Vehicle range, the Council should continuously review opportunities in the medium to longer term to consciously opt, where possible for electric/hybrid electric options. Such a commitment should be based also upon the potential revenue savings in fleet running costs’.

                    v.        ‘The Working Group believes that a wider partnership approach to the development of EV infrastructure could reduce some of the operational challenges presented by current EV-range limits. The Group also felt there was huge potential in a collaborative regional approach more broadly across the Capital Region’.

                   vi.         ‘As technology is changing, the Council should begin now to consider how it responds to a future shift to electric vehicles between now and the UK Government deadline for combustion engine production, not just at a strategic community leadership level. The Council should consider how it can encourage local vocational providers to respond to the shift in the emerging technology and develop relevant courses which will advance the mechanical skills required to maintain and service electric vehicles’. 

                  vii.         ‘The Council should consider placing an onus upon its supply chain to support an EV or LCV approach, in areas such as Home to School Transport and Taxi licences’.

                 viii.         ‘The Working Group believes the Council should call upon the Welsh Government to take a more proactive approach in facilitating EV infrastructure to ensure that Wales leads from the front and is in the best position to secure the potential economic opportunities. The Group also believed that the Council should call upon the UK Government to take more radical steps in respect of incentivising a shift to electric vehicles, learning from the example set by Scandinavian countries’. 

                   ix.        ‘The Working Group identified that all major events hosted by RCT would benefit from having the appropriate electric charging infrastructure in place to supply visitors for the duration of the event. The Working Group believes that the Council should investigate the implementation of the appropriate (mobile) infrastructure in order to demonstrate its commitment to the local environment, help cater for visitor’s charging needs and exhibit leadership in an emerging industry. The working group also recognised the need to promote the role of public transport & active travel in future event management planning’.

                    x.        ‘The Working Group also urges the Council to recognise that planning effectively now is key for the longer term sustainability of the local economy’’.

N.B The Chair of the Overview & Scrutiny Working Group, County Borough Councillor Adams had provided his apologies to the Cabinet for not being able to present the Scrutiny recommendations due to work commitments.