Council attends FASTER EV Chargepoints Local Authority Information Day

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Councillor William McCaughey and Council’s Climate and Sustainability Manager Elaine Smith attended the FASTER Local Authority Information Day, hosted by the East Border Region (EBR) and South West College, in County Monaghan.

The FASTER Project is a joint initiative across Northern Ireland,the Republic and Scotland, to support the overarching ambition to transition to low carbon transport systems and to demonstrate how each of thejurisdictions can provide early systems learning in relation to electrification of transport.

The Mayor said: “I was delighted to be given the opportunity to attend the FASTER local authority information day. I gained a more in-depth understanding of the project, the obstacles to the current EV network and valued the insight of how other Councils from other regions are tackling these obstacles in order to improve EV connectivity.”

The FASTER Project partnership will implement the physical role out and installation of 73 rapid charging stations (50KW capacity and above) in the programme area of Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic, before 31st May 2023.

The event focussed on promotion of the FASTER project and its rollout. The event included a series of short panel discussions, including one with Local Authority representatives from across the UK and Ireland who have already embarked on a vehicle electrification journey.

The event included an introduction from East Border Region Chair, Councillor Michelle Hall, followed by the FASTER Project Update from Pamela Arthurs (and other project representatives) looking at site selection, infrastructure procurement and behavioural change.

Key note presentations were given by Dundee City Council and from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.

Round table discussions then followed, with representatives from Department for Infrastructure (Northern Ireland) and Department for Transport (ROI), Dundee City Council and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. This was facilitated by Gary McRae (Urban Foresight).

The event was rounded off with a presentation on ‘The User Experience’, delivered by Paolo Ross, with closing remarks from Pamela Arthurs from EBR.

The FASTER project is still progressing with site selection in the final stages for the Mid and East Antrim area. It is hoped that through this funding stream, residents and tourists to the area will benefit from the more rapid charging opportunities.