Cleaner vehicles strategy

There is growing concern with regard to the environmental impacts of climate change, both now and for the longer term. The transport sector is the primary contributor to the problem. National and European governments and international agencies have sought to address the impact of greenhouse gases from the transport industry as a priority.

At a local level the Local Transport Plan (LTP) recognises the contribution that vehicles powered by more environmentally-friendly fuels to conventional petrol and diesel vehicles can have in enabling the city to meet its economic and environmental objectives.

To ensure that appropriate attention and priority is given a Cleaner Vehicles Strategy (CVS) has been produced. The CVS will provide the framework to allow increased public use of low emission vehicles in the city with a number of actions to help guide and support this.

The CVS has a strong focus on electric cars because this is widely acknowledged as the technology that offers the best emission figures when compared to the other technologies available and has been given the greatest level of investment from the Government to accelerate use and ownership.

The availability of publicly-accessible charging infrastructure at key destinations is essential to increasing electric vehicle use. Therefore, included as part of the CVS is a proposed programme for the provision of publicly-accessible charging infrastructure for electric vehicles at key sites in the city.

Public consultation

Public consultation on the draft Cleaner Vehicles Strategy is now closed.

Plymouth Public Sector Charge Point Bid

The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) announced in February 2013 the availability of grant funding for the purchase and installation of charging facilities for electric vehicles and is aimed at providing charge points on public sector estates, at railway stations, on street and at key locations adjacent to motorways and other strategic roads to encourage long distance travel by plug-in and electric vehicles.

The Council alongside its partners have submitted a bid for charge points to be installed at many of the city's key sites including the city centre car parks, the park and ride sites, Derriford Hospital, Mount Gould and Cumberland Health Centres, Devonport Dockyard and Naval Base and City College Plymouth.

The bid will be assessed by OLEV in May and successful applicants will be notified in June. Installation of the facilities could start towards the end of 2013.