Electric car charging stations could be installed for public use in Scarborough Borough Car Parks.
The council is working with a private company to provide government funding for the project that will allow residents to use the charging stations overnight to power their electric cars.
Councilor Michelle Donahue-Moncrieff – Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability – says the plan is to give people in difficult-to-connect households access to EV charging.
The regulation is seen as a way of counteracting the low prevalence of electric vehicles in the district, also because many row house owners have difficulties installing charging stations.
Harry Baross, the city council’s CO2 reduction officer, says there are currently fewer than 300 electric cars registered in the city.
Scarborough Borough Council will be working with Connected Curb Ltd to apply for the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS), which provides funding opportunities for the cost of purchasing and installing charging points in urban parking lots when accessible 24/7 are.
23 parking spaces in the entire district that meet the criteria have already been identified. Following today’s cabinet decision, a detailed analysis of their suitability will begin, including a vote with Northern Powergrid on the power capacity to power the charging stations.
The council hopes that its plan will accelerate the transition from internal combustion to electric vehicles in the district – a key goal of its climate neutral strategy – so that carbon emissions and other harmful exhaust emissions that affect air quality can be reduced.
The preparations for the ORCS funding application and the detailed assessment of the multi-storey car parks will be carried out by February.
If the funding application at ORCS is successful, the council, in cooperation with Connected Curb, will install charging points in its car parks by the middle of next year.
Councilor Michelle Donohue-Moncrieff said:
“When it comes to carbon emissions, combustion engine vehicles are one of the largest contributors identified in our climate protection strategy.
“Lots of people want to buy or lease an electric vehicle, but concerns about the power grid, especially given the high percentage of homes in the district that don’t have off-street parking, are preventing them from making the switch.
“We hope our program will influence people’s decision about their next vehicle and meet the needs of those who are already asking us to take action to increase the number of charging points in the community.”
The following locations have been identified as likely feasible for ORCS funding. Sites in bold have been highlighted as priority sites by the Council.
- Albion Road, Scarborough
- Bank Bottom, Runswick Bay
- Bench top, Staithes
- Castle Road, Scarborough
- Church Street, Whitby
- Eastborough, Scarborough
- Falconers Road, Scarborough
- Friarsway, Scarborough
- Lythe Bank, Sandsend
- North Street, Scarborough
- North Terrace, Scarborough
- Northstead Lower and Upper, Scarborough
- Quay Street, Scarborough
- St. Hilda’s Terrace, Whitby
- St. Nicholas Parade, Scarborough
- Station Avenue, Filey
- Train station car park, Robin Hoods Bay
- Victoria Park, Scarborough
- Victoria Road, Scarborough
- West Cliff, Whitby
- West Pier, Scarborough
- William Street, Scarborough
