Decision details
Oxfordshire Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (OxLEVI) Programme
Decision Maker: Executive
Decision status: Recommendations approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Purpose:
To approve the tender for the countywide Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) programme to install electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in West Oxfordshire.
Decision:
That the Council’s Director of Finance, in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance, and the Executive Member for Climate Change and Nature Recovery resolved to:
1) Approve the Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) tender for EV charging contracts in Oxfordshire; the tender will be a joint tender on behalf of all Oxfordshire county and district councils, which OCC will lead.
Reasons for the decision:
The Executive delegated authority on 15 November 2023 to West Oxfordshire District Council’s (WODC’s) Director of Finance, in consultation with the Executive Members for Finance and Climate Change, to approve the OCC tender for EV charging contracts in Oxfordshire.
The transition to EVs is an important part of the journey to net zero. EVs have zero tailpipe emissions of air pollutants, and their motors are more efficient than combustion engines. Nationally, the sale of new petrol and diesel cars is set to end in the UK by 2035 and the necessary infrastructure will need to be in place to support the increase of EVs across the district and beyond.
Alternative options considered:
There is a reputational risk if the Council does not proceed with the project as the public are aware of the LEVI project following award of the OZEV funding.
If the Council does not take advantage of this opportunity, officers would need to consider other ways of installing EV chargers to address climate change, in line with the West Oxfordshire Council Plan 2023-27 and Climate Change Strategy 2021-25. The two options considered were:
· Directly tender for a Charge Point Operator (CPO) who will invest own capital budget for EV chargers. Officers anticipate this will take a minimum of a year to tender without carrying out the due diligence work.
· Securing the Council’s own funds through council budgets or by other sources and grants which exist, anticipated to take a further year to source and apply for funding then tender process following successful funding.
Both options had been considered and rejected due to:
· The large amount of OZEV funding available.
· The timescales to have EV chargers operational in 2025/26.
· The opportunity to work collaboratively with OCC and other district councils.
Interests and Nature of Interests Declared:
No interests were declared.
Publication date: 28/03/2025
Date of decision: 18/02/2025
Accompanying Documents:
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