The Delegated Decisions by Cabinet Member for Place, Environment and Climate Action meeting scheduled for Thursday 23 April 2026 was set to discuss a sub-contract agreement with Space Clipper. This agreement is part of an innovation project focused on improving the visualisation of local area energy plans and electric vehicle (EV) charge point plans.

Approval to Sign Space Clipper Sub-Contract

The primary item scheduled for discussion was the approval to sign a sub-contract agreement with Space Clipper. This agreement is for Oxfordshire County Council's participation in an innovation project funded by Innovate UK. The project aims to test the development of 3D visualisation of Geographic Information System (GIS) data for local area energy planning and the EV charge point programme. Space Clipper is seeking feedback from the council on their software tool, leveraging the council's expertise in these areas.

The report indicated that the Cabinet Member was recommended to:

• Agree that the Council enters into a sub-contract agreement with Space Clipper for the purpose of supporting delivery of an innovation project to improve visualisation of Local Area Energy Plans and EV charge point plans. ¹

The project supports the council's Corporate Plan by enhancing the ability to communicate important aspects of the energy system and foster stakeholder understanding and participation in the energy transition. This includes decisions related to EV charge point rollout and the implementation of Local Area Energy Plans (LEAPs). Improvements in these areas are expected to contribute to the council's strategic priorities for a greener and fairer future.

The sub-contract agreement, valued at £4,042.50 excluding VAT for each of the two participating council services, covers the council's costs for providing professional feedback on the software tool's development over a nine-month period. The council has the legal power to enter into such agreements under the Localism Act 2011. The project is also noted to have sustainability implications by helping to develop tools that improve access to and understanding of sustainability information.

The report pack also detailed the technical aspects of the Space Clipper project, highlighting its aim to address challenges in stakeholder engagement for Net Zero goals. It explained how the software tool uses 2D GIS files to rapidly render 3D models of project concepts and their surrounding landscapes, potentially increasing planning consent rates for public EV chargers and reducing the cost and effort associated with LEAPs. The project involves collaboration with various organisations, including Advanced Infrastructure Technology (AIT) for GIS integration and Insight6 for stakeholder engagement support.