A response from the council regarding the charging an electric vehicle from a terraced house in Rhondda Cynon Taf
AberdareOnline received a photograph of a resident charging his car from a terraced house window; the cable crossed the pavement in what looked like a rubber conduit and then to the charge point of the car all neat and tidy, unlike many residents he/she was fortunate to park outside the property to charge the vehicle in the first place.
Being aware of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council's policy of obstructing the highway (pavement) I requested clarification of the council’s Highway Department and the policy on charging electric vehicles from a terraced house.
Ref: Highways Act 1980 Section 178
Please can you explain Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council's position on charging an electric vehicle from a terrace house where the supply cable from the property crosses the pavement (Highway) to gain access to the vehicle's electric charge socket?
You would be aware of Highways Act 1980 section 178 Restriction on placing rails, beams etc. over highways.
(1) No person shall fix or place any overhead beam, rail, pipe, cable, wire or other similar apparatus over, along or across a highway without the consent of the highway authority for the highway, and the highway authority may attach to their consent such reasonable terms and conditions as they think fit.
Please can you provide details on how a resident can go about charging an electric vehicle from a terrace house within the law, as it is illegal at this time, would planning permission be required and public liability insurance or whatever is required can you please advise?
If governments are going down the path of all-electric vehicles this is a genuine reason for asking questions the odd cable is one thing but a street is another especially if the resident cannot park just outside the property.
I must thank the highways department for the detailed response
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’ Highway Department reply below
In response to your email dated 7th October 2022, I would confirm the following for your information:
At the present time there is not an approved process for charging electric vehicles on the public highway via a private electricity supply in RCT. The Highway Authority continues to monitor developments in technology, but in the interests of highway safety and in respect of future maintenance, RCT cannot support any of the current systems.
This is in part due to the risk of trip hazards and electrical safety issues, and laws which prohibit such installations. As such, the Highways Authority’s consent is required for the installation of any item on, across or above the public highway, which includes the pavement, and is subject to implementation under Sections 137 and 178 of the 1980 Highways Act.
Moreover, it is for those who are seeking to purchase an electric vehicle to ensure that they are able to provide the necessary charging facilities within the curtilage of their property.
Nevertheless, and notwithstanding any of the above, the Council recognises that there are a significant number of houses within the County Borough which have no off-road parking and this presents clear challenges in how infrastructure can be placed without causing obstruction and removing valuable parking spaces.
Consequently, the Council is actively seeking to provide publicly available charging points that are located in visible, accessible and reliable locations such as public car parks, Council offices and leisure centres. It is considered that this will help those who already own an electric vehicle and encourage those that are thinking of buying one, but have no means of charging from their home.
The Council are developing funding proposals on a regional basis with the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal and the Cardiff Capital Region Transport Authority in order to install electric charging points at a number of identified public parking locations across RCT, and it is hoped that dozens of charging points will have been installed by the end of the current year.
