Harrow Council's ambitious targets for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure are facing significant delays, impacting the local authority's green goals. Procurement challenges, specifically a legal challenge from an unsuccessful company, have stopped it completely
and are preventing the delivery of rapid EV charging points.
This issue was highlighted in the Culture, Environment and Economy Directorate's risk register for the first quarter of 2026-27, presented to the Governance, Audit, Risk Management and Standards Committee on Monday, 20 July 2026. Cathy Knubley, Strategic Director of Culture, Environment and Economy, reported that the failure to deliver rapid EV charging due to procurement challenges is a new risk rated as amber (C3), indicating medium likelihood and moderate impact.
Knubley explained that the council is engaged in ongoing meetings with procurement and legal teams to address the dispute with the unsuccessful company, which has resulted in the contract being in litigation
. She stated that this contract is one of our flagship actions
and that the council want[s] it delivered on our land
.
Harrow is noted to be behind in its EV facilities, with no rapid charging points currently available in council car parks. The existing rapid charging infrastructure is not under the council's control, and the council does not currently offer this service to residents. While trickle charging has been rolled out on lamppost columns, the delay in the rapid charging contract is hindering progress towards greener transport options for residents. Knubley also noted that Harrow is quite behind the curve with their EV facilities
and that they have no rapid charging in any of our car parks at the moment
, implying that the delays are impacting the council's efforts to offer a greener mode of transport to our residents
.
The committee agreed to note this information report. The full public reports pack for the meeting can be found here.