Agenda item

RESOLVED:

1. That Cabinet agree the appointment of the preferred supplier following a competitive tender process as named in Part 2 of this report.

2. That Cabinet agree to approve the allocation of £2m from the capital pipeline to develop and establish ongoing service provision of public EV chargepoints for financial years 23/24 and 24/25, subject to approval of a detailed business case by the Capital Programme Panel.

3. That Cabinet agree to delegate the approval of the initial Network Location Plan for chargepoint installations to the Executive Director of Environment, Transport & Infrastructure in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport, Infrastructure & Growth and feedback from the Member Reference Group.

Reasons for Decisions:

Following the report to Cabinet in January 2022, a Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee EV Reference Group was formed to note and review progress on the options for procurement of public chargepoint infrastructure in Surrey.  Following a review by the EV Reference Group of the essential contract principles, the Group endorsed the proposed model of a single supplier.

A procurement process was then conducted via a mini-competition under the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) Framework RM6213, ‘Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Dynamic Purchasing System Agreement’ (the DPS) for the Supply, Installation Operating and Maintenance of the EV Charging Points.

The outcome of the evaluation process has identified a successful single supplier who is   recommended for award.

The Contract has been written in a way that obligates the successful supplier to put up the capital investment; however, to support the achievement of geographic and social equity in the provision of this infrastructure across Surrey, and also to initiate and accelerate this programme, £2m is requested from the capital pipeline, to support project set up and subsidise selected chargepoint installations.  Officers will seek to reduce the sum required from the Council through external funding by continuing to apply for Government and other funding opportunities. 

Finally, the development of a network plan for identifying and prioritising installations will be a key first objective of the new contract which will require a formal decision, hence the recommended delegation of authority for agreeing this plan. 

(The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee)

The report was introduced by the Cabinet Member for Transport, Infrastructure and Growth who stated that in January 2022 Cabinet agreed that Surrey County Council undertake a procurement exercise with the aim of appointing a single supplier to work in partnership with the Council and its delivery partners to deliver public Electric Vehicle (EV) chargepoints at a large scale across the county of Surrey. The report put forward a recommendation to contract with the supplier most advantageous to SCC. The demand for EV chargepoints was increasing after the government’s announcement to accelerate the ban of sales of petrol and diesel-powered cars and vans from 2030 and hybrids by 2035. There remained a real gap in the market between the demand for EV vehicles and the availability of chargepoints. Surrey County Council as the highway authority was in a unique position to facilitate on-street EV chargepoints.47 companies had been identified and were invited to participate in the mini competition, of which 5 companies submitted bid responses. 1600 location suggestions were received for electric chargepoints and the first 6 months of the contract would focus on developing and agreeing a prioritised installation plan through partnership working between the Council, all delivery partners and the successful contractor.

RESOLVED:

1. That Cabinet agree the appointment of the preferred supplier following a competitive tender process as named in Part 2 of this report.

2. That Cabinet agree to approve the allocation of £2m from the capital pipeline to develop and establish ongoing service provision of public EV chargepoints for financial years 23/24 and 24/25, subject to approval of a detailed business case by the Capital Programme Panel.

3. That Cabinet agree to delegate the approval of the initial Network Location Plan for chargepoint installations to the Executive Director of Environment, Transport & Infrastructure in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport, Infrastructure & Growth and feedback from the Member Reference Group.

Reasons for Decisions:

Following the report to Cabinet in January 2022, a Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee EV Reference Group was formed to note and review progress on the options for procurement of public chargepoint infrastructure in Surrey.  Following a review by the EV Reference Group of the essential contract principles, the Group endorsed the proposed model of a single supplier.

A procurement process was then conducted via a mini-competition under the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) Framework RM6213, ‘Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Dynamic Purchasing System Agreement’ (the DPS) for the Supply, Installation Operating and Maintenance of the EV Charging Points.

The outcome of the evaluation process has identified a successful single supplier who is   recommended for award.

The Contract has been written in a way that obligates the successful supplier to put up the capital investment; however, to support the achievement of geographic and social equity in the provision of this infrastructure across Surrey, and also to initiate and accelerate this programme, £2m is requested from the capital pipeline, to support project set up and subsidise selected chargepoint installations.  Officers will seek to reduce the sum required from the Council through external funding by continuing to apply for Government and other funding opportunities. 

Finally, the development of a network plan for identifying and prioritising installations will be a key first objective of the new contract which will require a formal decision, hence the recommended delegation of authority for agreeing this plan. 

(The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee)