Scarborough accelerates electric vehicle charging points roll-out as new plans approved

Scarborough Borough Council will partner with Connected Kerb Ltd to apply to the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS), which offers funding opportunities towards the cost of procuring and installing charge points in council car parks, provided they are accessible around the clock.

Councillor Michelle Donohue-Moncrieff, Scarborough Borough Council cabinet member for environment and sustainability, said: "Many people would like to purchase or lease an electric vehicle, but concerns over where they will power up, especially given the high percentage of the borough’s homes that don’t have off-road parking, is preventing them from making the switch."

A total of 23 car parks throughout the borough that meet the criteria have already been identified. Following today’s cabinet decision, a detailed analysis of their suitability will begin, including liaison with Northern Powergrid about electricity capacity to power the charge points.

Out of the approximately 56,000 cars and vans registered in the borough, only 284 are plug-in electric vehicles or hybrids, although the figure is set to rise in the coming years as sales of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK must end by 2030.

The number of public electric vehicle charge points in the borough is currently very low, an issue being raised more often by residents and visitors to the borough. Action is needed to meet current needs and ensure supply is in place to address future demand.

The council also hopes its scheme will accelerate the transition from combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles in the borough – a key aim of its climate change strategy – so that carbon emissions and other damaging exhaust emissions that impact air quality can be reduced.

Work to prepare the ORCS grant funding application and detailed assessment of the car parks will take place between now and February.

If the funding application to the ORCS is successful, the council will work with Connected Kerb to install charge points in its car parks by mid-summer next year.

Cllr Donohue-Moncrieff continued: "When it comes to emitting carbon emissions, combustion engine vehicles are one of the biggest contributors identified in our climate change strategy.

"We hope our scheme will influence people’s decision on their next vehicle and meet the needs of those already calling on us to take action to increase the number of charge points in the borough."