RCT Council has confirmed that it has been working closely with the Cardiff Capital Region to secure funding to install public-use EV charging points at 31 car park sites across Rhondda Cynon Taf, to be installed throughout this year.
Tackling climate change is a priority issue for the Council, which has committed to becoming a Carbon Neutral Council by 2030. An important part of this commitment is promoting the use of electric vehicles and providing EV charging facilities for residents unable to charge at home. The Council’s Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy covers the period 2021 to 2030, and is available to view online.
Electric vehicles significantly reduce the exhaust emissions that are produced in comparison to petrol and diesel vehicles, resulting in improved air quality.
The Council’s successful bid for funding will result in EV charging points being installed at 31 off-street car park sites by contractor Connected Kerb – one of the UK’s leading providers of EV charging solutions – as part of wider work across the Cardiff Capital Region area of 10 local authorities.
Work will begin at the Rhondda Cynon Taf sites in the coming weeks, with each site containing at least one charging point and many containing two. There will be a mix of 7kw-22kw fast charging points.
Once the contractor has confirmed its work programme for each site, the Council will communicate details to residents via social media. The work will require a section of each car park to be brought out of use for a short period of time to enable the installations and associated works. All new EV charging points across the 31 sites will be installed by the end of December 2022.
Roger Waters, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council Director, Frontline Services, said: “Investment in EV charging provision is an important part of the Council’s climate change commitments, as we aim to do our bit in response to the Climate Emergency declared by Welsh Government. Ownership of electric vehicles has steadily increased in recent years, and this is projected to further increase as technology continues to improve and vehicle affordability grows.
“Thanks to the support from the Cardiff Capital Region, the new EV charging points will be provided at local car parks, and will be Council-owned and maintained going forward. The Council is also bidding for separate funding to deliver EV charging facilities at further sites, beyond the 31 already secured.
“The Council will announce specific details relating to each of the 31 sites when the contractor confirms its installation programme, with the overall work running until the end of December. Keep an eye out for this information being published on our social media accounts over the coming weeks and months.”
Chris Pateman-Jones, CEO of Connected Kerb, added: “We are delighted to work with Rhondda Cynon Taf Council on this installation of EV charging infrastructure, which will prove invaluable to EV-using residents without driveways and boost the area’s net zero credentials. The project will be hugely important in ensuring everyone has access to electric vehicle charging facilities regardless of their social status or where they live, and I hope this will be a blueprint for future EV projects across Wales.”
