On-street EV charging hindered by council objections in UK

The Story

Energy secretary Ed Miliband stated that charger gullies for street-parked electric vehicles can reduce costs, but more than 20 local authorities are reportedly not allowing the technology over safety and parking concerns. The objections affect millions of UK households without off-street parking, according to a consultancy.

Key Facts

• Ed Miliband said charger gullies will help cut costs for drivers connecting EVs to domestic power.
• More than 20 local authorities appear to be resisting gullies, including councils in Kent, Leicester, Worcestershire, and London boroughs such as Westminster and Hackney.
• London has the highest number of EVs and highest number of households without off-street parking.
• 9.3m households lack off-street parking, per consultancy Field Dynamics.
• Domestic charging uses 5% VAT vs. 20% on public chargers.
• Gully makers (Kerbo Charge, Gul-e, Pavecross, ACO) argue products are safe and avoid trip hazards.
• Councils cite concerns over safety, parking, aesthetics, maintenance, liability, and electric shock risk.
• Kerbo Charge co-founder Michael Goulden said each installation still needs local authority approval; his company works with 48 councils that allow or are trialling gullies.
• Almost a fifth of 83 local authorities did not apply for or take full government funding for cross-pavement solutions.
• Government removed planning permission requirement, but street works licences remain under council control.
• Gul-e director Adam Dolphin said council processes vary but are not intentional barriers.

Conflicting Reports

The article presents a conflict between the government and gully makers, who promote gullies as cost-saving and safe, and numerous councils that raise safety, parking, accessibility, and liability objections. No external verification is provided beyond the single source.

Still Unclear

The article does not specify how many councils are actively trialling gullies versus permanently objecting, and it does not project when the situation might change for households in holdout areas.

Misconceptions

No widespread misconceptions addressed in the source article.

Key Figures

• Ed Miliband (UK energy secretary)
• Michael Goulden (co-founder, Kerbo Charge)
• Adam Dolphin (director, Gul-e)
• Councils: Kent, Leicester, Worcestershire, Westminster, Hackney, Ealing

Sources: The Guardian