Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy - Progress and Proposed Delivery Model
Argyll and Bute Council · 18 December 2025
Back to Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee — 18 December 2025 and its agenda
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE 18TH DECEMBER 2025 ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STRATEGY – PROGRESS AND PROPOSED DELIVERY MODEL 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report provides Members with an update on the delivery of the Council’s Electric Vehicle Charging (EVC) Strategy and seeks approval for a revised approach to delivery now that external funding has been confirmed. The Strategy, approved by the Council in 2022, set out a vision and a strategic basis to expand the availability of public electric vehicle charging (EVC) infrastructure throughout Argyll and Bute. Its purpose was to provide fair and convenient access for residents, visitors and businesses, supporting both the transition to low-carbon transport and the Council’s wider climate objectives. Following confirmation that the Council has now been awarded £1.033 million through the national Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (EVIF), officers have reviewed the existing strategy and expansion plan to ensure that proposals for the scale and pace of delivery reflect the resources available and that investment achieves the greatest possible public benefit. It is therefore proposed that the Council alter its strategy to include an additional layer – a “hub-first” delivery model, concentrating initial investment on a network of well-equipped, high-use charging hubs in key towns and island centres. This would then be followed by a second phase of smaller “spoke” installations across smaller settlements/in other key areas, maintaining connectivity and enabling local flexibility, with the latter element being delegated to local Area Committees. The report also provides updates on related workstreams, including the transition to the new Scottish Power back-office system and the development of a local cross-footway charging approach to support safe home charging. Overall, the report seeks Member approval for the proposed revised delivery methodology, funding allocation and next steps that will allow us to move from planning to implementation in 2026.
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RECOMMENDATIONS It is recommended that the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee: a) Note progress on the implementation of the Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy; b) Approve the proposed “hub-first” delivery methodology, whereby key town and island hubs will be delivered as Phase 1 of the programme, followed by local “spoke” installations in Phase 2; c) Approve the proposed allocation of the £1.033 million EVIF funding, comprising: • £100,000 for maintenance and repair of the existing network, • £100,000 as a contingency to address connection and construction cost fluctuations, and • £833,000 for the delivery of new infrastructure; d) Agree that the residual budget for Phase 2 be delegated to local Area Committees on the following basis: • Bute & Cowal – 19.78% • Helensburgh & Lomond – 10.67% • Mid Argyll, Kintyre & Islay – 32.71% • Oban, Lorn & the Isles – 36.84% e) Note the ongoing parallel workstreams relating to the development of a cross-footway charging policy, the migration of the back-office system to Scottish Power / Fuuse, and the continued review of tariffs and maintenance arrangements; and f) Note that a further report will come back to committee in March once the costing exercise which is currently underway is complete.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE 18TH DECEMBER 2025 ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STRATEGY – PROGRESS AND PROPOSED DELIVERY MODEL 2.0 INTRODUCTION 2.1 This report provides Members with an update on the delivery of the Council’s Electric Vehicle Charging (EVC) Strategy and seeks approval for a revised approach to delivery now that external funding has been confirmed. 3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS It is recommended that the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee: a) Note progress on the implementation of the Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy; b) Approve the proposed “hub-first” delivery methodology, whereby key town and island hubs will be delivered as Phase 1 of the programme, followed by local “spoke” installations in Phase 2; c) Approve the proposed allocation of the £1.033 million EVIF funding, comprising: • £100,000 for maintenance and repair of the existing network, • £100,000 as a contingency to address connection and construction cost fluctuations, and • £833,000 for the delivery of new infrastructure; d) Agree that the residual budget for Phase 2 be delegated to local Area Committees on the following basis: • Bute & Cowal – 19.78%
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• Helensburgh & Lomond – 10.67% • Mid Argyll, Kintyre & Islay – 32.71% • Oban, Lorn & the Isles – 36.84% e) Note the ongoing parallel workstreams relating to the development of a cross-footway charging policy, the migration of the back-office system to Scottish Power / Fuuse, and the continued review of tariffs and maintenance arrangements; and f) Note that a further report will come back to committee in March once the costing exercise which is currently underway is complete. 4.0 DETAIL 4.1 In 2022, the Council approved its Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy, setting out the long-term ambition to fill geographic gaps in provision and to ensure equitable coverage of public EV charging infrastructure across Argyll and Bute. 4.2 The Strategy was structured around two principal delivery themes: 1. Charging on the Move – focusing on route-based coverage to allow drivers to travel confidently across and through the area; and 2. Destination Charging – providing charging points in locations where users are likely to dwell for longer periods, such as town centres, car parks, and visitor destinations. 4.3 Between 2023 and 2024, officers developed an expansion plan and methodology that identified 55 potential sites across the Council area. This approach was framed around achieving fairness and geographic balance and was developed on the assumption that further external funding would become available to support full implementation. 4.4 In 2024, the Environment, Development and Infrastructure (EDI) Committee reaffirmed this direction while awaiting confirmation of national funding through the Scottish Government’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (EVIF). CURRENT POSITION 4.5 In August 2025, the Council secured £1.033 million from the national EVIF programme, which is administered regionally through HITRANS. 4.6 The consultancy Urban Foresight was engaged to undertake detailed assessments of each of the 55 long-listed sites. This work produced comprehensive “factfiles” describing site conditions, grid capacity, charger configurations and indicative costs. However, it became clear that the outputs needed refinement to reflect the proposed new strategic approach – this work is ongoing.
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4.7 Based on average installation costs from previous programmes, the original 55- site plan was estimated to require approximately £1.65 million. The confirmed allocation of £1.033 million therefore requires a more targeted, phased approach. Officers have reviewed the methodology to focus on high-impact locations that provide the greatest utilisation and value for money. PROPOSED DELIVERY MODEL 4.8 It is proposed that the Council adopt a “hub-first” delivery model, establishing a core network of well-equipped, multi-charger hubs in the principal towns and island centres. Each hub would typically provide a mix of fast and rapid chargers, be conveniently located near local amenities, and be designed for scalability so that additional chargers can be added in future years as demand increases. 4.9 This approach represents an evolution of the original “Destination Charging” theme. Rather than installing several smaller 22 kW chargers in multiple car parks within a single town, these would be consolidated into one central hub offering improved reliability, faster charging speeds, and easier maintenance. 4.10 The second phase of delivery would then extend provision outward to smaller “spoke” sites, typically one- or two-charger installations serving rural communities. This ensures the network retains the original “Charging on the Move” ethos of connectivity across strategic routes while delivering a financially sustainable core system. 4.11 When developing the new methodology Officers have considered: • population and visitor demand; • the impact of seasonal tourism “swell”; • grid capacity and connection feasibility; • deliverability, accessibility and cost efficiency; and • the presence of existing or planned private-sector chargers to avoid duplication. This methodology ensures that investment is guided by practical, evidence- based criteria rather than theoretical mapping. HUB METHODOLOGY 4.12 Strategic principle: Build reliable, visible hubs first, then expand to smaller “spokes” once the network backbone is established, ensuring full route coverage across Argyll and Bute. This also complements the existing network. • Identify sites that deliver strategic coverage – locations where people visit, shop and work • Potential for high utilisation
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• Represent value for money • Access to local amenities • Avoid duplicating private provision • Resilience and cluster logic • We have a proposed criteria for this based on population. The hub (single- site) methodology is: Population Rapid Fast Total 10k plus 5 5 10 5k to 10k 3 3 6 2k to 5k* 2 2 4 *when not near an existing large town • We will add in an element of population swell through tourist locations where they would therefore move up to the next bracket: • Population centres proposed for hubs reflect places where visitors and residents visit, rather than domestic users charging at home This methodology would therefore provide the following hubs: Town/area Pop Tourist swell Hub/cluster Helensburgh 13k N 5R; 5F Oban 8.5k Y 5R; 5F Dunoon 8.9k N 3R; 3F Lochgilphead 2.3k N 2R; 2F Campbeltown 4.5k N 2R; 2F Islay – Bowmore 3k island Y 3R; 3F Mull – Craignure 3k island Y 3R; 3F Bute – Rothesay 6k island N 3R; 3F
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4.13 To progress this we have asked our consultants to: • Assess the current provision in each location including non ABC operated publicly available chargers. That assessment should consider as a ‘’hub’’ any chargers within a cluster area less than one mile from the hub site identified in the above table • Focus on new hubs/expansion of existing to be on a single site • Identify the number and type of chargers required to meet the above hub targets, after accounting for existing provision both Council and non-Council. • Assuming hubs/clusters will be developed on existing sites, base on following as the core deliverability criteria on the basis we are trying to assess if sites pass or fail: o Proximity to existing electrical infrastructure; o Compliance with accessibility standards; o No flood risk o Strong data connectivity • To assess in binary terms whether the sites pass or fail • Include usage information on existing chargers at current sites. • Determine total costs for any additional EVCs required to meet the above requirement. Assume mid range costs • Assess scalable expansion options at each site PHASE TWO LOCAL DELIVERY 4.14 Phase 2 delivery will focus on individual chargers and smaller sites (‘spokes’) that maintain network continuity and local access. 4.15 These sites could be selected and prioritised by Area Committees within their allocated share, to support local decision-making and flexibility under the strategic framework. 4.16 This ensures alignment with the original thematic principles and equitable access across rural routes and communities. FUNDING ALLOCATION 4.17 The Council’s confirmed £1.033 million EVIF allocation is proposed to be split as follows: • £100,000 – to address essential maintenance and repair of the existing network, safeguarding reliability;
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• £100,000 – to be held as a contingency fund to manage potential cost escalation and connection charges; and • £833,000 – for the phased delivery of new charging infrastructure. 4.18 It is proposed that: • Phase 1 deliver the network of strategic hubs within key towns and island centres; and • Phase 2 deploy the remaining balance as smaller “spoke” sites to maintain route coverage and local accessibility, with this element being delegated to local Area Committees. 4.19 To ensure equity, it is proposed that any residual Phase 2 funding be apportioned in line with the Council’s established roads-capital programme distribution percentages: • Bute & Cowal – 19.78% • Helensburgh & Lomond – 10.67% • Mid Argyll, Kintyre & Islay – 32.71% • Oban, Lorn & the Isles – 36.84% 4.20 This approach would allow for local input within a consistent strategic framework. ADDITIONAL WORKSTREAMS 4.21 Cross-Footway Charging Officers are developing a local policy framework for cross-footway EV charging to respond to increasing demand from residents who wish to charge at home but lack private driveways. It is proposed that a three-stage approach be adopted: 1. Short-term use of approved ramped cable protectors; 2. Medium-term pilot of below-ground ducting (2026); and 3. Long-term adoption process supported by a leasing and cost-recovery model. Engagement with disability and access groups will ensure accessibility standards are maintained throughout. 4.22 Back-Office Migration The Council’s network of 37 existing chargers is being migrated to the new Scottish Power back-office system, which provides enhanced data visibility, automated fault reporting and compliance with national contactless-payment regulations. This transition will improve uptime and simplify network management. 4.23 Tariffs and Maintenance The current tariff of £0.70 per kWh will remain under review to maintain an appropriate balance between user affordability and cost recovery.
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At present, the EVC network is managed operationally by one officer within the Roads and Infrastructure team. As the network expands, it is proposed that officer capacity and resourcing be reviewed to ensure long-term sustainability. RISKS 4.24 Key risks associated with delivery include: • Grid connection costs and availability, particularly in rural or island locations; • Potential overlap with private-sector provision, such as forecourts and supermarkets; • Resourcing constraints, given that day-to-day management currently rests with one officer; • Transitional reliability risks during the migration to the new back-office; and • Construction-cost volatility in the current market. 4.25 Mitigation measures include early engagement with SP Energy Networks, use of the contingency allocation to absorb fluctuations, phased delivery, and continuous liaison with private operators to coordinate provision. 5.0 CONCLUSION 5.1 The proposed hub-first delivery model offers a realistic and financially sustainable pathway for expanding the Council’s EV charging network within the confirmed funding envelope. 5.2 It maintains strategic coverage and fairness while focusing investment on sites with the highest potential utilisation. 5.3 Subject to Committee approval, officers will: • finalise site selection and connection estimates with Urban Foresight • report progress back to the Committee once the above is complete 5.4 This phased, data-led approach will enable the Council to strengthen the network’s reliability, improve user experience, and support both local economic activity and carbon-reduction goals. 6.0 IMPLICATIONS 6.1 Policy - Supports the objectives of the approved Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy. 6.2 Financial - £1.033 million secured through EVIF; proposed allocations and phasing detailed in the report.
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6.3 Legal - All works will comply with roads, procurement and accessibility legislation. 6.4 HR – none. 6.5 Customer Service – back office migration needs to be managed with supplier. 6.6 Risk – noted in the body of the report. 6.7 Climate Change – supports move to net zero. 6.8 Fairer Scotland Duty – none known. 6.9 Equalities – none known. 6.10 Consumer Duty – none known. 6.11 Island Communities – none known. 6.12 Children’s Rights and Wellbeing – none known. Kirsty Flanagan Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Policy Lead Councillor John Armour 13 November 2025 For further information contact: Mark Calder APPENDICES Appendix 1 – Updated Expansion List Appendix 2 – Member Seminar Slides