Electric vehicle (EV) charging cable permission

Who needs to apply

If you have an electric vehicle and no off-street parking (such as a driveway) you will need to apply for permission to run a charging cable across the footpath/pavement.

You don't need to apply for permission if the charging cable will stay on your own property, for example if you charge your vehicle on your driveway.

What the permission covers

The permission only allows you to place charging cables across the width of the footpath/pavement. It does not give you any guarantee of on-street parking directly outside your property.

You are not allowed to run a cable across a road. While we judge each application separately, we are likely to refuse any request to run a cable across a road.

We will only give you permission after a highways officer has completed an assessment of the need and suitability of the location.

Permission lasts for two years from the date of approval. If you want to continue to use a charging cable across the footpath/pavement after two years, you will need to apply again. Your application will be assessed again to determine the need and suitability of the location.

The permission is temporary because we are rolling out new public chargepoints in residential areas all the time. If a new chargepoint is installed near your home, we may not grant permission for you to continue using your cable when you reapply. You may wish to consider whether installing a home charger is the right option for you. We cannot be held liable for any costs relating to home installations that become unusable if permission is refused when you reapply.

Application fee

You will need to pay an upfront fee when you apply to run an electric vehicle charging cable across the footpath. Visit Highways services fees and charges to find out more.

If we refuse your application because the highway officer's assessment decides that the criteria is not met, we will not give you a refund.

Before you apply

Read the assessment criteria on this page carefully. If you know these conditions can't be met we will most likely refuse your application.

If you feel there are exceptional reasons, you can include these when you complete the form. They will be considered as part of your application.

Assessment criteria

Is the property you are applying for your main place of residence?
Do you currently have access to any off-road parking? This could include a driveway or private residents' car park. If so, you may not be eligible. You will need to explain why you need permission to run a cable across the path.
Do you have any private land (eg front garden) that could be converted into an off-road parking space? It's important you consider all off-road parking options before applying. If you do decide to create an off-road parking space, we strongly encourage you to apply for a dropped kerb if needed.
Can you park legally directly outside your property, without breaking any parking restrictions? Can you:
1. Park completely and legally on the public highway without causing a nuisance (eg not on the verge or footpath unless clearly permitted by existing signs)
2. Park without breaking any parking restrictions (eg double yellow lines, bus stops, zig zag markings, dropped kerbs, cycle lanes)
3. Park without obstructing other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists
Is the parking outside your property in a residential permit zone? If it is, do you have a valid parking permit?
Do you hold a valid and up-to-date electrical testing certificate for your property (less than 10 years old)?
Did your employer provide your EV? If yes, does your workplace provide electric vehicle charging?
Are there community facilities nearby that mean a lot of people walk past your property? Eg. doctors' surgeries, schools, shops and nurseries. We will consider use of the footpath as part of the assessment. If your application is successful, we may restrict charging to less busy periods.
Are there streetlights outside your property? The cable protector must be easily seen or it could be a trip hazard.
If there are no streetlights or if the streetlights are on for only part of the night, we may only allow you to charge your vehicle in daylight hours.
We may allow applicants to charge during hours of darkness if the cable protector is fully visible. This will be entirely at your own risk and the Council does not accept any liability for this.
Do you have anywhere on your property where excess trailing cable can be stored off the public highway?
Will you be able to place the cable across the path, perpendicular (at a right angle) to the direction of travel for pedestrians?
If you are considering installing a home charger, can this be installed without conflicting with the relevant section of the Town and Country Planning Order 2015? If you are unsure, please consult your local planning authority before proceeding with your application.

Cable protector

If you are given permission, you will be responsible for finding your own cable protector. It must meet the following requirements to avoid tripping hazards and provide an accessible ramp for wheelchairs and pushchairs.

The cable protection must:

Not be more than 32mm deep with a gradient no steeper than 1 in 5. It should be comparable to a Defender Nano Lux cable protector or similar
Be flush with the footway surface
Cover the full width of the footway (loose, unprotected cables should not be exposed on any part on the footway, multiple protectors must be used if necessary)
Be high contrasting (yellow on black footway surface)
Be laid perpendicular (at right angles) to the direction of pedestrian traffic
Be protected by an approved residual current device (RCD)

Loose cables must be stored off the public highway (inside property or in private front gardens). Cables and connection points must be certified for use outdoors.

Pavement Charging Channels

You may have seen products such as cable channels that can be installed across public paths to allow people to run cables from their homes to charge their cars. At this time, Norfolk County Council does not allow these to be installed within our highway. There are a number of reasons for this:

Law - At the moment, we allow the temporary use of a cable across the path, with restrictions. This is because the Highways Act forbids people from running cables across the highway unless they have the permission of the Local Authority. This law has not been changed, and our current policy allows the use of a cable across a path as a temporary measure only.
Maintenance - Whenever someone opens up a path or road, it usually results in issues occurring where the digging has been done. This is why we try to avoid doing this unless absolutely necessary. It is not yet possible to know the long-term impact of these charging channels, and whether they will have a bearing on the difficulty and cost of maintaining the path. What we do know is that where other items like utility covers interrupt the surface of a path, these make it harder for us to carry out resurfacing and repairs.
Accessibility - While cable channels may work for some users, the nature of their ground-level installation means they may not be suitable for all users or comply with the latest accessibility guidance. We try our best to make sure that public installations are more suitable for all users and take into account accessibility requirements.
Ownership - We do not usually allow an item belonging to a private resident to be installed in the highway. If we were to allow the installation of a charging channel, considerations would need to be made, including who actually owns it and who is liable for it if something goes wrong. If the resident were to move home, we would also need to look at whether we remove the channel, and who would pay for this.
Parking - When we grant permission for the temporary use of a cable across a path, we make it clear that this does not guarantee the user the right to park directly outside their home. With the installation of a charging channel, this would be no different. Parking can be a difficult matter and can lead to disagreements between people who park on the same road, and we do not wish to make this worse. It is much simpler to use on-street charging stations as these will have dedicated parking, which we are looking to enforce with legal Orders.
Utilities - Gas pipes, water mains, electricity cables and communications wires run underneath most paths. These companies have a right to maintain and repair their equipment, and this sometimes means digging up the path. They do not like having other items laid over the top of their equipment because these items may have to be broken out in the event of a repair, and they are not obligated to replace them or pay for them.

We recognise that users can usually charge more cheaply from a home supply than on-street, and we are working to see how we might be able to make on-street charging more competitive, as we do not wish to make electric vehicles less attractive.

We also know that there are pavement charging channels ongoing in other areas of the country, and we will wait to see what can be learned from them. At the moment, however, charging channels are not permitted for use in Norfolk's highways.

Apply with or without a MyNorfolk account

When you apply you can either log in to MyNorfolk first or continue to the form without logging in. If you want to register for a new account, follow the link to log in.

If you log in to MyNorfolk before applying, the form will already have your contact details filled in. You will also be able to sign in to MyNorfolk to see the progress of all enquiries you've made.

If you apply without an account, you can still receive email updates about the progress of your enquiry.

Apply for permission to place an EV charging cable across a public footway