A cross-pavement charging gully does not guarantee you a parking space.
If you do not have off-street parking (like a driveway), you could consider a cross-pavement charging gully.
A cross-pavement charging gully (sometimes called a channel) is a small groove in the pavement that lets you safely run a cable from your house to your car parked on the street.
This works best if:
- your house faces the street
- you can park your car right outside
It is generally most suitable for traditional terraced-style streets. Many streets in Bracknell Forest are built differently, so this might not work everywhere.
An example of a cross-pavement charging gully.
Costs
A typical installation (up to 2 metres footway width) is £1,650.
We are currently offering £1,200 towards installation costs, due to a central government grant, reducing the total cost to £450.
Eligibility
You are eligible to apply if:
- your home is in Bracknell Forest
- you own or rent your home (and have your landlord’s permission)
- you can usually park outside your house
- your cable only crosses your own land and the pavement
- there are no double yellow lines, bus stops or school entrances nearby
- you have got, or have applied for, a chargepoint
Your responsibilities
Before you apply, you must understand your responsibilities.
Parking space is not guaranteed
You must understand that this does not guarantee you a parking space.
Insurance
You must accept liability for any accident caused by your charging cable. You must have vehicle insurance in place that includes "cable trip cover". Most car insurance providers include this. You will have to give your insurance schedule to prove cover within a few weeks of your installation.
Electrical safety
You must not put any cable into the gully unless it has appropriate electrical safety in place.
To keep everyone safe you must have your chargepoint professionally installed by an electrician and provide the Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) within 4 weeks of your gully install.
The charger must have a simultaneous contact protection device, such as that included inside MyEnergy Zappi chargers, or a standalone IET01 Method 1 and 3 device such as the Matt:e MTE/A11-100M1b device.
Every 5 years you will need to get an electrical safety test of your EV charging equipment and associated safety devices.
Upkeep of gully
Once installed, the upkeep of the gully is your responsibility. This may be covered by a maintenance agreement with the gully provider.
How to apply
Use our online form to apply.
Apply for a cross-pavement charging gully
We will let you know within 28 days if your property looks suitable.
What happens next
If approved, we will organise for our contractor (Ringway) to install your cross-pavement gully.
We are currently offering £1,200 towards installation costs, due to a central government grant.
A typical installation is around £1,650, so you will need to pay the difference (for example, £450). If your installation is more difficult then you may need to pay more. We will send you a quote.
Once installed it is your responsibility for the upkeep of the gully. This may be covered by a maintenance agreement with the gully provider.
Help with costs
You may be able to get money back from the government. This could include:
- £500 if you install a home charger and a cross-pavement charging gully
Find out more about electric vehicle chargepoint grants on GOV.UK.
Planning permission for your charger
If you do not have off-street parking (like a driveway) for your charger, we recommend applying for planning permission for your charger.
However, you will not face enforcement action, as long as you follow these rules.
What you must do
Get a licence
Your installer must get a section 178 licence from the Local Highway Authority before putting gully across the pavement.
This makes sure the cable can be used safely.
If you’re using our contractor, we will arrange this for you.
Wait until it’s installed
Do not plug in your EV until the approved cable gully has been fitted.
Temporary fixes like cable mats or loose covers are not allowed.
Keep your charger compact
Your charging unit (including the plug) must not stick out more than 15cm (150mm) from the wall or pavement.
Follow national planning rules
Your charger must meet national size and placement rules:
- wall-mounted chargers must be under 0.2 cubic metres in size and not be within the curtilage of a listed building or the site of a scheduled monument
- free-standing chargers (posts) must be:
- no taller than 1.6 metres in front of your home or block of flats
- no taller than 2.7 metres in other locations
- only 1 post per parking space
- not be within the curtilage of a listed building or the site of a scheduled monument
Power limit
The charger must not be more powerful than 11kW.
Use the cable gully correctly
When charging, the cable must be placed inside the approved pavement gully.
Store the cable safely
When you’re not charging, the cable must not be left on the pavement or road.