Residential EV Charging Street Covers
Where a cable is covered, it remains a hazard and, with live electricity flowing through it, and there is the potential for this to be very dangerous. It is particularly hazardous for pedestrians with impaired vision or mobility issues and for pram users and young children, and it is important that we keep our public roads and footways safe and accessible for everyone.
The Council’s position is that, due to the public safety risks posed, it is not permitted to run a cable across a public footpath or road, with or without a protective cover, ramp or overhead apparatus.
The legal basis for the prohibition is section 109 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 and Part V and VIII of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, which do not permit the placement of apparatus over, along, or across a public road or footway.
Please be aware that doing so may also result in personal liability for any injury or damage caused by running a charging cable across a public footway or road.
Such liability is unlikely to be covered by insurance policies.
We are continuing to explore the viability of ‘in-pavement’ systems and how a scheme might be effectively rolled out in Argyll & Bute. To that end, we are following the progress of the national pilot scheme and the finalisation of the National Guidance currently being produced by Scottish Collaboration of Transport Specialists (SCOTS), as well as conducting our own internal research. We have officers meeting regularly to move this on at pace.
In the meantime, the council remains unable to approve any applications for ‘in pavement’ charging solutions.
