Local authorities

Cross-pavement charging solutions

Benefits and challenges
Who owns the cross-pavement channel?
Planning permission

Cross-pavement charging solutions allow residents who don’t have off-street parking to charge electric vehicles (EVs) at home without trailing charging cables across the pavement.

Also known as cable gullies, these are usually enclosed channels in the pavement that safely fit the charging cable. Several suppliers now install them.

If you’re a local authority looking to leverage cross-pavement charging for your residents, this guide can help you get started. Find out more about the benefits and challenges, ownership, permissions and requirements, and see examples from other local authorities that have installed this technology.

Benefits and challenges

Benefits

Allows private residential charging where there is no off-street parking available, removing the health and safety concerns of trailing cables.
Lower charging cost for residents compared with public charging network costs.
No need to install public charging infrastructure and or make grid upgrades.
Low-cost for local authorities to install and no additional street furniture (signs, chargepoints etc.) required.

Challenges

Reliant on residents to install and use correctly, meaning there are potential liabilities and risks for the local authority.
Parking issues may mean residents can’t use the cross-pavement channel they installed.
May require planning permission to install.
Potential issues with other road users, particularly where multiple gullies are installed on one street.

Who owns the cross-pavement channel?

The highways authority owns the channel

The highways authority commissions the installation of a cross-pavement gulley and is responsible for enforcing the safe and proper use of it. The authority can choose to licence the use of the gulley and charge the householder an annual fee.

A third-party installer owns the channel

A third-party installer requests permission and a licence under section 50 of the New Roads and Street Works Act to install a gulley in the highway. The authority can choose to charge the third-party installer a fee. The authority is still responsible for enforcing the safe and proper use of the gulley and taking action if it isn’t maintained properly.

The householder owns the channel

The householder commissions a third-party installer to install the gulley and requests permission and a licence under section 50 of the New Roads and Street Works Act. The authority can choose to charge the householder a fee. The authority is still responsible for enforcing the safe and proper use of the gulley and taking action if it isn’t maintained properly.

Planning permission

Planning permission is required to install a home charger if:

The charger is installed less than two metres from the highway.
There’s no off-street parking.

Listed buildings or buildings in a heritage area may also need planning permission for a home charger.

If the highways authority installs the gulley, it could be deemed a ‘highways improvement’ and may not need planning permission. If a third-party installer or a householder installs the gulley then it is likely to be considered a ‘development’ and would need planning permission.

Home charger requirements

Most local authorities specify that households install a dedicated EV charger, with protective earth neutral (PEN) fault protection. They don’t allow households to use a three-pin plug and an extension cable with the gulley.

If there’s limited space between the house and the footway, some suppliers suggest installing an outdoor three-pin socket or commando socket with the necessary PEN fault protection. This wouldn’t need planning permission.

Local authority cross-pavement projects

Oxfordshire County Council carried out trials in 2021 of the Oxford Direct Services (ODS) Gul-e product. The success of this trial led to the roll-out of more across the county.

Liability and responsibilities

Householders pay an upfront contribution to the installation cost plus an annual licence fee. This covers the cost of staff from the highways team to carry out regular inspections and maintenance. If the householder moves from the property, the gulley can be removed and the pavement reinstated. ODS has also developed a capping device as a temporary fix.

Council liability and maintenance

Annual inspections are carried out by the highways team, with costs covered by the annual user licence fee. Utility companies are also confident they can dig up to or under the gulley when carrying out works. The Gul-e is considered a council asset and is insured under the council’s public liability insurance. It has a five-year warranty.

Householder’s liability and maintenance

The householder must have public liability insurance through their car or home insurance to cover any accidents. They also need to remove the cable when not charging, otherwise it is classed as a permanent utility. The householder is responsible for keeping the gulley clean of debris and notifying the council of any faults.

Home charger requirements

Under the householder’s user agreement, they must install a dedicated EV charger with PEN fault protection.

Parking and accessibility

The council communicates to the householder that having a gulley installed does not guarantee a parking space outside their house. Parking is also addressed in the council’s site criteria. The design criteria for the Gul-e product considers mobility issues, with a trial planned with 15 Motability customers.

Issues with certain sites

ODS avoids installing gullies on grass verges or conservation areas as this causes an issue with grass cutting. The gullies also need to be set in concrete.

Plans for wider rollout

The council plans to carry out a wider project with 500 installations.
Milton Keynes City Council received grant funding and developed and trialled a new gulley product with Kerbo Charge. Over six months, it trialled the product in six locations where residents were part of a green permit scheme, making improvements along the way.

Liability and responsibilities

Milton Keynes City Council’s highway partner installed the gulley. The council is liable, as it is with any other council asset on the highway. The council won’t cover any cable-related claims.

Council maintenance

The council’s highways team carried out regular surveys on the gullies as part of the wider highways maintenance programme. The Kerbo Charge product has a 10-year warranty.

Householder’s liability and maintenance

The council asked the householder to have public liability insurance against any claim relating to the charging cable. The council shared guidance with householders on how to use the channel, for example how to keep it clean and use it correctly. This was not a legally binding document.

Home charger requirements

The householder was required to install a dedicated EV charger and provide an electrical safety certificate to verify this.

Parking and accessibility

The council communicated to the householder that there was no guarantee of a parking space early on. It found that residents spoke to their neighbours to arrange parking. The council also conducted an accessibility assessment. It found the gullies weren’t suitable for disabled users due to the bending and lifting required.

Plans for wider rollout

The council plans to roll out the product across Milton Keynes. There is already a waiting list. The trial helped get buy-in from the highways team to take this on as a highways asset, although the Highways Standard doesn’t cover this technology yet.
Central Bedfordshire Council trialled ODS’s Gul-e product in 2023 for six months. It will trial Kerbocharge’s gulley product in 2024 for three months. It selected 20 sites for each trial. Kerbocharge has a Section 178 licence, allowing installation on the public highway. Residents pay for the installation.

Liabilities and responsibilities

During the first trial with the Gul-e product, the council produced a contract between the householder and the council. This set out any liabilities and expectations. It recommended the householder had relevant insurance to cover any cover cable trip claims.

Home charger requirements

The householder must have a dedicated home charger or an external socket with an earth rod installed and provide photographic proof before the gulley is installed. Kerbo Charge offers a charger and a channel package for the householder.

Installation and maintenance

A road with a gulley installed was re-tarmacked. There was no issue with carrying out this work with the gulley still in place. The council is considering bulk purchasing the channels and installing them themselves. It’s also looking at having the supplier manage residents’ requests through a microsite with council approval built in.

Parking

The council found pilot trial residents organised parking spaces with their neighbours. It also found that residents didn’t need to charge as frequently as they initially thought. It’s exploring how apps like co-charger could help with sharing chargers and removing parking pressures.

Plans for wider rollout

The council found it was more cost-efficient to install gullies than public charging. It aims to use LEVI funding to subsidise the first 100 gullies installed across the council area.
The Durham County Council highways team led the initial research on trialling cross-pavement solutions in Durham. It looked at two of the main products on the market and ran a pilot with 26 households for 10 months. The pilot covered 50% of the cost for the householder.

Liability and responsibilities

The council asked the householder to pay a £50 per year licence fee. The householder was able to install their own chargepoint. They needed to agree the channel would be used safely and responsibly in the licence agreement, and that they were fully insured for any liabilities.

Installation and maintenance

The council’s internal highways maintenance teams were the first to be instructed to do the work. If they were unavailable, the work was subcontracted. There was a fixed price for the product and the installation.

Issues with certain sites

The product was selected due to its flexibility, something that the council felt would be important when installing the gulleys in their area. The council also found that grass verges and repaving were an issue at some installation sites.

Plans for wider rollout

The council is looking at alternative solutions for residents who use a Motability vehicle. It is also considering authorising the use of approved cable cover mats as a temporary measure, before installing a gulley in the longer term.

Last updated: 12 December 2024