Issue - meetings

(i)        to note that Aberdeen City Council has accepted funding from Transport Scotland-Local Authority Installation Programme 2019/20 for electric vehicle (EV) charge points; and

(ii)       to instruct Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning, following separate approval by this Committee of the relevant procurement business case, to proceed with this project in relation to the installation of electric vehicle charging points as detailed within the report.

With reference to article 13 of the minute of meeting of 25 April 2019, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning which outlined details of the new external funding opportunity that the Council had submitted a successful funding application for, and which was now available to the Council for the installation of electric vehicle charge points.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)       note that Aberdeen City Council has accepted funding from Transport Scotland-Local Authority Installation Programme 2019/20 for electric vehicle (EV) charge points; and

(b)       to instruct Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning, following separate approval by this Committee of the relevant procurement business case, to proceed with this project in relation to the installation of electric vehicle charging points as detailed within the report.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener moved:-

            that the Committee approve the recommendations contained within the report.

Councillor Flynn, seconded by Councillor Townson moved as an amendment:-

            that the Committee –

(1)     approve the recommendations contained within the report;

(2)     note that ‘stretch outcome’ 14 of the Council’s refreshed Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP) states that we will reduce “Aberdeen’s carbon emissions by 42.5% by 2026”;

(3)     therefore, approve a £1.7million capital allocation to be invested in EV charging points in the city, including in multi-storey car parks owned and operated by Aberdeen City Council, in order to help facilitate a modal shift away from traditional vehicles;

(4)     note that there will be an annual estimated revenue consequential of £85,000 and therefore instructs the Chief Officer – Finance to include within the Q2 budget monitoring report due to come to the next meeting of City Growth and Resources Committee a reasonable charging policy for EV charging points, designed to leave the council in a cost neutral position; and

(5)     further instructs the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to investigate grant funding streams that may be available to Aberdeen City Council to build upon this additional investment in EV charging points across the city, to subsequently make any suitable applications for funding, and to report back to this committee with the outcome in due course.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (5) – the Convener, the Vice Convener and Councillors Boulton, Donnelly and Laing; for the amendment (4) – Councillors Flynn, Nicoll, Townson and Yuill.

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the motion.