Harbury Future Energy
Powering Electric Cars in Harbury
Why are we planning a car charging project in Harbury?
The government has announced that by 2030 no more sales of new petrol and diesel engine cars in the UK will be allowed. Already motor manufacturers and local electricity Distribution Network Operators are gearing up for this change but it is extremely unlikely that any charge points will be installed by commercial companies or local authorities in villages for some time to come.
Although most of the houses in Harbury have off-road parking allowing them to charge their cars from the domestic electricity supply, there are still a considerable number of homes in the village where that isn’t possible (Ivy Lane, Church Street, Church Terrace, Chapel Street and others). In addition visitors to the village to see friends, for sports fixtures or to enjoy our hospitality venues, may want to recharge their cars whilst here.
We also see this project as another contribution by our village to reducing carbon emissions. Transport is one of the highest contributors to climate change carbon emissions and the change over to electric vehicles is calculated to be a major contribution in cutting not only carbon emissions but also polluting exhaust.
What will it look like?
Proposed battery store and cafe in car park
Car park view looking towards the hall
Entering the car park from Constance Drive
How will we solve the problem?
Warwickshire County Council, in association with Harbury Future Energy, is installing an electric vehicle charging station for the village. This facility will be sited mainly on the existing car park and we have extended the existing car park to compensate for the lost parking spaces. A new pedestrian and cycle access path separate from car entry to the car park is included in the plan.
In order to keep the cost of charging cars for village residents down we plan to generate as much energy as we can from the sun and possibly, in due course, a wind turbine and will use a 160kW battery to store any surplus. The battery will also be connected to the grid, which will be locally upgraded, to allow storage of grid derived electricity at cheaper night-time rates.
Who is involved?
A group of 6 Harbury residents have been working on this since 2019. The project is supported by the Parish Council. Since we now have government funding for the project under the Low Emission Vehicle Infrastructure scheme we are working with Warwickshire County Council on delivering the project.
What people think about it so far
- Online survey completed in May 2020 – 92% thought it was a good idea to have charging points in the village; 93% of households in Harbury do not have their own charge point.
- Stand at Local Produce Market 26th Sept 2020 – high level of visitors; positive response
- Parish Council – At March Parish Council meeting the Councillors unanimously agreed to support the scheme with an amended layout now incorporated into our plans
- A young people’s petition to the Parish Council launched in March 2021 gathered over 80 signatures in favour of the scheme. Details here
Some quotes from residents
- As a community we should make provision for the future we want to see”
- “It will become expected in not so many years”
- “ My main concern would be range anxiety so having more charging points, not only here but everywhere, removes that barrier”
- “It’s a great initiative”
- “Great initiative for the community”
- “I think it is vital for the World to reduce human effects on the environment”
- “The increasing prevalence of electric vehicles will lead to an increased demand for charging points”
Frequently Asked Questions
How is it funded?
Our costs for a feasibility study and business development were covered by two successive grants from the Rural Community Energy Fund. 75% of the installation costs are covered by a government grant from the Low Emission Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund; the remainder will come from the successful company following the procurement process. All of this in now in the hands of the County Council. There are, however, a few aspects of the project (particularly the car park extension) that are not covered by LEVI funds. To cover the car park extension HFE successfully applied to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and combined this with part of a donation to Harbury Parish Council by Vantage RE, the company that owns Eastfields Solar Farm.
Won’t all this reduce playing space on the field?
The effect on the recreational area will be minimal. We have liaised with the leaders of the Juniors Football and they are happy with the arrangements for the car park extension. They are also pleased at the possibility of the battery store also providing them with the opportunity to provide and sell refreshments at matches. The whole field is restricted in use by a Fields in Trust covenant. They have granted permission for our development.
How much will it cost to charge?
This will be determined in discussions with the installing company.
Won’t we be able to see the wind turbine from all over the village?
It probably isn’t as big as you think. Working with the Parish council, we have done a lot of modelling to agree the best site and assess the visual impact. We are confident now that, unless you are actually on the recreation field, there are very few places in Harbury, including the nearby streets, from where you will be able to see it.
Who will own the charging station? Who will benefit from the income?
The overall project is managed by Warwickshire County Council. The chargers and all infrastructure will be owned by the installing company/consortium. There are likely to be a series of legal agreements regarding obligations and ownership of the various assets. Harbury Future Energy has established itself as a Community Interest Company (CIC) to receive any share of the profits passed on by Warwickshire County Council. It will not be owned by Harbury e-Wheels.
How will you stop the same cars parking there every night, making it their ‘own’ parking space?
This is a problem that could well be an issue and we are aware of it. One way of dealing with this is to charge a financial penalty for overstaying beyond charging time. It will be a matter for discussion with the installing company. This will be an additional resource for the village but may not solve all the EV charging needs of residents.