Purpose

To extend the delegation received from the
previous Cabinet report (20th March 2024) to both join the regional
consortium and directly procure delivery of electric vehicle
infrastructure for Staffordshire residents as part of the LEVI
project.

Content

The previous Cabinet report (appendix 001)
outlined the UK Electric Vehicle Strategy, the available funding
that local authorities were to receive through the LEVI grant and
what Staffordshire County Council’s approach was to deliver
Electric Vehicle infrastructure (EVi). The authority’s
approach is documented in the Staffordshire County Council Public
EV Charging Strategy (appendix 002), and it was agreed by Cabinet
on March 20th, 2024, that the authority would either join a
consortium LEVI project led by Midlands Connect and Nottinghamshire
County Council or directly procure services.
It was agreed by Cabinet that:
Staffordshire County Council will accept funding from the
Department for Transport to enable the private sector to deliver
public EV charging infrastructure in Staffordshire.
Delegates the final decision to either remain in a local authority
consortium with Midlands Connect or for Staffordshire County
Council to procure an EV infrastructure partner
independently.
Delegates the completion of any legal agreements associated with
the installation of electric vehicle ChargePoint's i.e. s50 and SCC
private leases.
As guidance from Government changed, it was made clear that to
deliver our strategy of EV charging both on-street and through
District and Borough off-street car parks, SCC would need to be a
part of the consortium and directly procure. By taking this hybrid
approach SCC is able to access the full funding available and
continue with ongoing engagement and collaboration with all
district and boroughs. This will therefore enable SCC to deliver
the SCC Public EV Charging Strategy in off-street locations and
facilitate a consistent approach to the rollout of EVi across
Staffordshire.?
Approving the go-to tender request for the Phase 1 Midlands Connect
LEVI Consortium allows SCC to continue the project to deliver a
step-change in EVi across Staffordshire, helping to contribute
towards achieving the goal of 5,135 ChargePoint sockets by 2035
(CENEX).
With this approval, there will be a hybrid approach to the LEVI
project through two delivery phases:
LEVI Phase 1 – (Midlands Connect) Second Midlands EVI
Consortium being led by Nottinghamshire County Council with an
on-street focus. 90% of SCC LEVI Capital funding is allocated
(£4,129,200).?
LEVI Phase 2 – Staffordshire County Council led third-party
land project through collaborating with Staffordshire Tier 2
District and Boroughs to install in off-street car parks. 10% of
SCC LEVI Capital funding is allocated (£458,800).?