New electric vehicle charging points coming to Ipswich car parks
14 new EV charging points are set to be installed before the end of the year
Fourteen new electric vehicle (EV) charging points planned across seven of Ipswich’s car parks are expected to be installed before the end of the year.
The decision to add EV charging points, made by Ipswich Borough Council’s executive on Wednesday, is aimed at supporting residents to improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions through their vehicle choice.
In particular, the charging points will benefit those without car parks, and therefore without the space for their own chargepoints.
Just over £150,000 for the initiative has been secured by a successful application for grant funding from the on-street residential chargepoint scheme, administered by the Energy Saving Trust on behalf of the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles.
The expected cost of £390,500 is to be recovered by requiring customers to pay to charge their vehicles.
During Wednesday’s meeting, Labour councillor Philip Smart, portfolio holder for the environment and climate change, said: “There is a significant proportion of people with cars in the borough don’t have access to their own off-street parking, and Suffolk County Council won’t let you trail cables over the pavement.
“As the market develops and these vehicles become more accessible, parhaps to people on low incomes in smaller houses, these residents will need somewhere to charge them.”
Two double-headed chargepoints will be put in Norwich Road Shoppers car park, William Street car park, Cromwell Square car park, Fore Street car park, Smart Street car park, Regent Theatre car park, and Portman Road A car park. There will be a cost attached to charging, on top of parking.
These will join the 32 publicly accessible EV charging points currently in place – 27 at Crown car park, three at Upper Orwell Street car park, and two at Elm Street car park. People only pay for parking here at the moment, but a cost for charging will be added as part of this scheme.
Cllr Ian Fisher said: “I do not think anybody is going to disagree that EV charging points are a good thing for the environment, and are needed.
“My main issue is that we are in a tight financial state at the moment and, although there is a grant, this will have significant revenue implications.”
Referring to the decision made earlier in the meeting to cut subsidies to certain late bus services, he said: “I find it difficult to see how we have made the choice to cut subsidies to bus services but massively subsidise EV charging.
“We are throwing our limited resources at the wrong people.”
Labour leader of the council David Ellesmere responded: “The areas with the most deprived populations are those with the worst air quality, although it is usually not the people who are deprived causing this.
“Improving the air quality in general will help these people.”
Labour councillor Martin Cook referred to the installation of the charging points as a “cash generator”, as residents will pay to charge their vehicles.
According to the report brought to the committee, the replacement of existing EV charging points to add the payment element will cost £75,000. At the moment, Ipswich Borough Council is spending £23,000 a year on the electricity used by people charging vehicles for free.
The supply and installation of charging points is estimated to cost £275,500 and a 20% contingency has been added – making the total estimated cost £390,500.
£150,000 of this will be covered by the grant. It is forecast the remaining cost will be recovered in seven years by payments from customers, if usage remains at current levels.
Liberal Democrat councillor Inga Lockington “very much welcomed” the proposal.
In response to Cllr Lockington’s question about whether blue badge holders will have free parking in these spaces, provided they paid to charge vehicles, Cllr Smart said: “I am advised by our officers that blue badge holders will be able to park without paying. The signage will make this clear.”
The car parks must be accessible 24/7, and for free overnight between 6pm and 8pm, to comply with grant conditions. The maximum stay time must be no fewer than four hours.
The charging points must also be installed before the end of December to remain eligible for the funding.