Apply and pay for a home EV charging channel

You must:

• own the property, or have written permission from the owner
• live at the property
• have a concrete or tarmac pavement that is no bigger than approximately 2 metres in width, grass verges are currently not suitable
• ensure that your EV charger, when installed, does not overhang the footway/pavement (this can happen if the front wall of your house opens straight onto the pavement)
• be able to park legally on the road directly outside your property, with only a footway separating your property from the road
• use the EV channel with an EV charger that is 7.5 kilowatts or less
• use a suitable EV charging cable that fits safety within the EV channel
• have the EV channel installed on a raised kerb
• have a pavement that is higher than the surface of the road to ensure that water drains away from the channel

Please do not assume that your application will be approved.

Other considerations

You must:

• agree to cover the council's costs if someone makes a claim against the council because of your EV charging set-up, rather than the council paying them.
• make sure that a registered electrician installs your EV charger and that all equipment meets the minimum standard requirements.

Unsuitable EV locations

• Applications for a channel/charger will be refused if there is any electrical street furniture nearby, such as lampposts, BT cabinets or traffic lights.
• Applications will also be refused if another residents' EV cable channel is within 2.5 metres of your charging vehicle. This may mean that neighbouring properties may be unable to have an EV cable channel.
• Applications may be refused if there is a parking restriction in place, such as double or single yellow lines, bus stops, zig zag lines, taxi ranks, or if you are within 1- metres of a junction. You can check if there are Suffolk County Council traffic orders happening near you.
• Applications may be refused if parking would not be safe or compliant with the Highway Code (opposite or in proximity of a junction, unless in a marked parking bay, or if poor visibility).
• Applications may be refused if you want an EV channel installed within 1 metre of a tree or pedestrian barriers

New EV channels can't be installed too close to another EV channel, no less than 2.5 metres.

Please note that each application will need to be assessed in relation to the surrounding infrastructure, street furniture and existing EV channels.

They also can't be installed if it will be less than 400 metres away from a public chargepoint. You can see where your nearest chargepoint is on our map.

The EV home charger unit must be installed by a qualified contractor who holds a NRSWA qualification, and has £5 million public liability insurance.

These EV channels suppliers can provide a ‘supply and fit’ service, or a ‘supply only’ for you to then arrange installation by a contractor with a NRSWA certification.

Types of charging channels

You can contact the EV channel suppliers below. They can install your chosen EV channel once you've received approval from Suffolk Highways.

Charge Gully

• Charge Gully website
• Email: hello@chargegully.com
• Phone number: 0203 576 4440

Kerbo Charge

• Kerbo Charge website
• Email: hello@kerbocharge.com
• Phone number: 0203 576 1479

Gul-E

• Gul-E website
• Email: Gul-e@odsgroup.co.uk 
• Phone number: 01865 252956

You won't need planning permission if an EV channel is in the public highway/pavement or outside the residential curtilage.

You must check with your local planning office if you need planning permission for your EV charge unit within your residential curtilage or garden, as it won't be permitted if you don't have off-street parking.

Your home EV charger needs to be installed by a suitable qualified electrician who will provide you with an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) on your home charger.

You may also need permission if your property is a listed building, or within a conservation area.

 You may only need planning permission if:

• your property affects designated heritage assets, such as listed buildings, conservation areas or article 4 direction
• the works are where buildings and structures above the ground (that are related to the project) count as part of the active working development.

If your home has off-street parking, you may have permitted development rights. However, you may still need planning permission. If you have no off-street parking, you need to apply as normal.

We will assess your application with the intent to approve the installation, but you must secure any planning permission(s) that you need to install the home EV charger.

Apply for planning permission

You can apply for planning permission through your district or borough council:

• Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Council
• Broads Authority
• East Suffolk District Council
• Ipswich Borough Council
• West Suffolk District Council

You can get pre-application planning advice through the planning departments of each council.

If you're not sure who your local district or borough council is, you can check on GOV.UK.

Download, complete and email the application form to us at highways.streetfurniture@suffolk.gov.uk.

You must check you meet all the criteria in step one before you apply.

Please include an unobstructed photo of the pavement area outside your property and where you plan to have your charger installed. Please take your photos from the opposite side of the road, looking back at your property.

Our engineer will conduct a site visit to check its suitability. We will then be in touch.

A member of our team will visit you to check the site and assess whether its the best placement in relation to any existing street furniture (streetlights, metal railings, neighbouring EV channels etc).

An application costs £210.

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Your application won’t be processed until after you've paid the application fee.