The Transition Director will submit a report to propose entering into a collaboration agreement, in respect of an Innovate UK funded project that supports the City Council’s plans for Electric Vehicle charging and associated infrastructure.

This report will be published as a supplement.

The Transition Director had submitted a report to propose entering into a collaboration agreement, in respect of an Innovate UK funded project that supports the City Council’s plans for Electric Vehicle charging and associated infrastructure.

The Board Member for Safer, Greener, Environment (Councillor Tom Hayes), introduced the report which would, in parallel with other Council initiatives, make a significant contribution to the City’s commitment to reducing air pollution and its “journey to zero transport emissions”. It would, among many other things, lead to the establishment of rapid charging points for the public with low affordable tariffs and enable an acceleration of the electrification of the Council’s vehicle fleet. He placed on record his thanks for the contribution of the Capital Programme Project Manager, Tina Mould to the project so far and for the excellent work of the wider Sustainability team.

In general discussion it was highlighted that the battery would be able to store locally and more widely produced green energy. An aspiration of the Council would be to use more green energy (preferably locally sourced) and minimise the proportion originating from coal fired power stations (noted that this element cannot be controlled).

It was confirmed that Pivot Power, the Council’s partner and consortium project lead, was in discussions with South Oxfordshire District Council, through the planning application process, for citing of the battery next to the National Grid substation in Cowley.

The City Executive Board resolved to:

1.    Grant project approval for the Energy Superhub Oxford project and authorise officers to take appropriate steps to deliver the scheme;

2.    Delegate authority to the Transition Director, in consultation with the Heads of Finance and Law and Governance, to enter into a collaboration agreement with the Council’s  bid partners to secure the grant funding for the scheme from Innovate UK, to appoint the Council as the Accountable Body for the Scheme, and under which the Council would itself receive grant funding for the scheme; and

3.    Delegate authority to the Transition Director, in consultation with the Heads of Finance and Law and Governance, to negotiate and award any further contracts that are necessary for the successful delivery of the project