The Head of Corporate Strategy has submitted a report to (i) seek approval for Oxford City Council’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (EVI) Delivery and Implementation Plan, which clarifies the work packages and resources needed to deliver the first chapter of Oxford’s EVI strategy (OxEVIS) up to April 2026; (ii) seek delegated authority for officers to enter into contracts and agreements with third parties to deliver the OxEVIS Implementation Plan; and (iii) agree to changes to the GULO (Go Ultra Low Oxford) project.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.       Approve the draft Implementation Plan for the Council’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy (OxEVIS) delivery as set out in Appendix 4 anddelegate authority to the Head of Corporate Strategy in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Healthier Communities and the Cabinet Member for Zero Carbon Oxford and Climate Justice to makeamendments to the Implementation Plan where required to ensure delivery of the OxEVIS;

2.        Delegate authority tothe Head of Corporate Strategy, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Healthier Communities, the Cabinet Member for Zero Carbon Oxford and Climate Justice, the Head of Financial Services/Section 151 Officer, and the Council’s Monitoring Officer, to enter into partnerships and collaborative working arrangements with third parties as required to deliver the Implementation Plan;

3.         Delegate authority tothe Head of Corporate Strategy, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Healthier Communities, the Cabinet Member for Zero Carbon Oxford and Climate Justice, the Head of Financial Services/Section 151 Officer, and the Council’s Monitoring Officer, to accept tenders and enter into concession contracts (within the constraints set out in paragraph 39 of this Cabinet report) for the purposes of delivering the Implementation Plan;

4.        Delegate authority to the Head of Corporate Strategy, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Healthier Communities, the Head of Financial Services/Section 151 Officer, and the Council’s Monitoring Officer, to give grants for the purposes of delivering the Implementation Plan up to an aggregate value of £500k;

5.         Delegate authority to the Head of Corporate Strategy, in consultation with the Head of Corporate Property, the Cabinet Member for Planning and Healthier Communities, the Head of Financial Services/Section 151 Officer, and the Council’s Monitoring Officer, to enter into leases up to a rental value of £5M for the purposes of delivering the Implementation Plan;

6.        Note the interdependency with the funding bid under the standard 2024 MTFP budget setting process (detail as per Table 1 of the report). Over the four year budget period this implementation plan delivers an estimated net income of £24k. Net income for 2029-2040 is estimated at up to £5.2M;

7.        Agree the On-street elements of the Go Ultra Low Oxford project (GULO) transition from Oxford City Council delivery to Oxfordshire County Council delivery, subject to the following conditions being fulfilled:

a.        The County Council is satisfied that it can meet the funding obligations within the GULO funding agreement;

b.        The funding body for GULO agrees (Office for Zero Emission Vehicles/OZEV) for the transfer to take place;

c.    There is an agreement by both Councils on the methodology for delivery of the key outputs of GULO Phase 2, including the number of electric vehicle charging points and cable channels (GUL-e) committed under GULO are delivered to updated timeframes that are agreed with Oxford City Council and the funding body;

d.    The existing GULO estate and highways related GULO Phase 2 funding are both transferred; and

e.    An updated partnership agreement, including a revenue share arrangement for the assets associated with GULO is put in place that recovers the City Council investment to date; and

8.     Note the reduction of Oxford City Council control over delivery of the OxEVIS Strategy due to national delegation of Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) grant deployment to tier 1 authorities. Moving from overseeing city-wide delivery of OxEVIS to collaborating with Oxfordshire County Council on relevant OxEVIS policies related to highways EV Infrastructure deployment.

The Head of Corporate Strategy had submitted a report to (i) seek approval for Oxford City Council’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (EVI) Delivery and Implementation Plan, which clarifies the work packages and resources needed to deliver the first chapter of Oxford’s EVI strategy (OxEVIS) up to April 2026; (ii) seek delegated authority for officers to enter into contracts and agreements with third parties to deliver the OxEVIS Implementation Plan; and (iii) agree to changes to the GULO (Go Ultra Low Oxford) project.

Councillor Anna Railton, Cabinet Member for Zero Carbon Oxford and Climate Justice set out the background to the report, principally the increasing shift in responsibility for electric vehicle infrastructure (EVI) to Tier 1 authorities.  In this context, Oxfordshire County Council had expressed the wish to take full control of EVI on the highways, including the existing installed Go Ultra Low Oxford (GULO) estate and future GULO phase 2 deployment which had to date been managed by the City Council.  The report therefore sought the required authorities and delegations to allow the various contract arrangements, stock and remaining funding to be migrated.  It also signalled the County Council’s intention to honour Oxford City Council’s existing EVI strategy. 

Four scrutiny recommendations had been made, which had all been accepted.

Cabinet Members expressed regret that the City Council would not be able to oversee its own infrastructure strategy to fruition, or fully benefit from projects in which resources of time and investment had been made.  It was noted that Oxford City Council could still install its own EVI on land which it owned (such as city-owned car parks and park and ride), and potentially on third party land through back-to-back contract agreements. 

Cabinet resolved to:

1.       Approve the draft Implementation Plan for the Council’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy (OxEVIS) delivery as set out in Appendix 4 anddelegate authority to the Head of Corporate Strategy in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Healthier Communities and the Cabinet Member for Zero Carbon Oxford and Climate Justice to makeamendments to the Implementation Plan where required to ensure delivery of the OxEVIS;

2.        Delegate authority tothe Head of Corporate Strategy, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Healthier Communities, the Cabinet Member for Zero Carbon Oxford and Climate Justice, the Head of Financial Services/Section 151 Officer, and the Council’s Monitoring Officer, to enter into partnerships and collaborative working arrangements with third parties as required to deliver the Implementation Plan;

3.         Delegate authority tothe Head of Corporate Strategy, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Healthier Communities, the Cabinet Member for Zero Carbon Oxford and Climate Justice, the Head of Financial Services/Section 151 Officer, and the Council’s Monitoring Officer, to accept tenders and enter into concession contracts (within the constraints set out in paragraph 39 of this Cabinet report) for the purposes of delivering the Implementation Plan;

4.        Delegate authority to the Head of Corporate Strategy, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Healthier Communities, the Head of Financial Services/Section 151 Officer, and the Council’s Monitoring Officer, to give grants for the purposes of delivering the Implementation Plan up to an aggregate value of £500k;

5.         Delegate authority to the Head of Corporate Strategy, in consultation with the Head of Corporate Property, the Cabinet Member for Planning and Healthier Communities, the Head of Financial Services/Section 151 Officer, and the Council’s Monitoring Officer, to enter into leases up to a rental value of £5M for the purposes of delivering the Implementation Plan;

6.        Note the interdependency with the funding bid under the standard 2024 MTFP budget setting process (detail as per Table 1 of the report). Over the four year budget period this implementation plan delivers an estimated net income of £24k. Net income for 2029-2040 is estimated at up to £5.2M;

7.        Agree the On-street elements of the Go Ultra Low Oxford project (GULO) transition from Oxford City Council delivery to Oxfordshire County Council delivery, subject to the following conditions being fulfilled:

a.        The County Council is satisfied that it can meet the funding obligations within the GULO funding agreement;

b.        The funding body for GULO agrees (Office for Zero Emission Vehicles/OZEV) for the transfer to take place;

c.    There is an agreement by both Councils on the methodology for delivery of the key outputs of GULO Phase 2, including the number of electric vehicle charging points and cable channels (GUL-e) committed under GULO are delivered to updated timeframes that are agreed with Oxford City Council and the funding body;

d.    The existing GULO estate and highways related GULO Phase 2 funding are both transferred; and

e.    An updated partnership agreement, including a revenue share arrangement for the assets associated with GULO is put in place that recovers the City Council investment to date; and

8.     Note the reduction of Oxford City Council control over delivery of the OxEVIS Strategy due to national delegation of Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) grant deployment to tier 1 authorities. Moving from overseeing city-wide delivery of OxEVIS to collaborating with Oxfordshire County Council on relevant OxEVIS policies related to highways EV Infrastructure deployment.