Purpose

The report will seek Cabinet approval for a 12-month trial of cross-pavement electric vehicle charging channels in Kirklees. The channels would allow residents without off-street parking to safely run an EV charging cable from their home to a vehicle parked on-street, helping to reduce the cost gap between households with driveways and those reliant on public charging.

During the trial, residents would meet the installation and associated licence/application costs, with delivery managed through a third party provider. This approach means the Council can test demand, safety, maintenance, highways and operational issues without requiring Council funding.

The evidence gathered will inform a longer-term policy and operating model. From 2027, Kirklees expects to receive grant funding via West Yorkshire Combined Authority, following a successful regional bid. This funding should allow future installations to be subsidised, creating a cheaper route for residents and supporting fairer access to home EV charging.

Decision

RESOLVED –

1)    That authority be delegated to the Service Director for Highways and Streetscene, in consultation with the Service Director for Legal, Governance and Commissioning and the Service  Director for Finance to negotiate, agree, and enter into the terms of any applicable funding or service management agreements; and any other licence, contract and/or ancillary matters to enable individual installations to proceed.

2)    That authority be delegated to Service Director for Highways and Streetscene, in consultation with the Service Director for Legal, Governance and Commissioning and the Service Director for Finance to develop, market and publish public guidance documents to facilitate new applications.

3)    That it be noted that West Yorkshire Combined Authority applied on behalf of all West Yorkshire Local Authorities to the Department for Transport and was awarded £1,543,000 on behalf of the West Yorkshire region to implement Electric Vehicle Pavement Channels.

4)    That authority be delegated to the Executive Director of Place, in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member, to determine and agree the methodology and principles for distributing the portion of the ‘Electric Vehicle Pavement Channel’ grant money to residents granted to Kirklees Council by West Yorkshire Combined Authority and comply with any Grant Funding Conditions which may apply.

5)    That authority be delegated to the Executive Director of Place, in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member, to review the findings of the trial to establish a standard approach to EV cross pavement approach, leading to an agreed policy for safe and effective installation of cross pavement channels.

6)    That approval be given for a 12-month trial of cross-pavement channels in Kirklees to be delivered by a ‘fully managed’ service by Kerbo Charge Ltd.

7)    That approval be given to the addition of the following new 26/27 highway fees and charges for the scheme: Kirklees Section 178 EV Licence - £297 (VAT not applicable), Kirklees EV inspection/application fee - £75 (VAT not applicable) and Kirklees Section 178 EV Licence Renewal (3 yearly) - £115 (VAT not applicable).

8)    That it be noted that the procurement route for this trial will be a direct award to Kerbo Charge Ltd.

9)    That it be noted that the trial will begin before the implementation of any grant scheme provided by the Electric Vehicle Pavement Channels Grant.

10)  That the contents of the IIA completed for this project to date be noted.