Petition by Chiswick resident asks LB Hounslow to provide pavement gullies for EV charging

Using a cable gully to charge an electric car at home; image: topcharger.co.uk

‘The failure to provide practical home charging represents an unfair and unjustified economic cost on residents’

A petition to Hounslow Council set by a Chiswick resident to permit the use of pavement gullies for home EV charging has gathered 142 signatures in the two weeks since it was started.

The petition organiser, who does not give their name, writes:

‘In the era of climate change and the global effort to transition towards green energy, electric vehicles (EVs) have become a cornerstone of sustainable transportation. However, for residents in Hounslow, the practicalities of owning an EV are hindered by the lack of accessible home charging solutions.

‘Hounslow Council has an opportunity to lead the way in supporting environmental progress by allowing for the installation of pavement gullies that facilitate EV charging from home.

‘With more than 20,000 electric vehicles registered in London alone (according to the Department for Transport), the need for convenient home charging solutions is more pressing than ever.

‘The demand for EVs is increasing rapidly, driven by strict emission regulations and the planned phase-out of petrol and diesel cars by 2030 in the UK. Yet, in many residential areas, especially those without driveways or garages, EV owners face significant challenges in charging their vehicles efficiently and safely’.

Using a pavement gully for safe charging; image: chargedev.co.uk

‘Lampost charging is expensive, inconvenient, and unreliable’

Chiswick is an area with relatively high take up of electric vehicles, but relatively little off-street parking.

Pavement gullies offer a practical and efficient solution, the organiser of the petition argues. They can be installed without requiring extensive or intrusive infrastructure, allowing residents to safely charge their vehicles from the comfort of their homes.

This solution, they say, is not only convenient but aligns with the UK government’s broader environmental objectives and ambition for carbon neutrality by 2050.

‘Moreover, home charging is far more cost effective than charging via commercial charge points. On a home tariff, an EV can be charged fully to roughly 330 miles of range for £4-£6. On a public charge point, the number is much closer to £32.

‘Over the course of a year and assuming approximately 1 charge per month, the EV driver pays £320 more, which is about a third of a family’s entire annual electricity bill. The failure to provide practical home charging represents an unfair and unjustified economic cost on residents’.

Available charge points are shown on the ZapMap website.

Hounslow provides a mix of standard (slow), standard plus (fast) and rapid charge points across the borough.

There are currently 200 standard charge points at lamp columns in LB Hounslow, which take eight to 12 hours typically to charge a car.

There are 84 Source London charge points in car parks and on streets throughout the borough, which offer the standard plus speed, which takes between two and five hours.

Rapid charge points are available only in selected council-owned car parks. The typical charging time at these is 30 minutes to one hour for up to 80% charge.

Commenting on the petition, Neil Drury writes:

‘Have no access to off street parking from home and alternatives very expensive and impracticable’.

Andy Preston adds:

‘Our public chargers are always going wrong, even when working they’re expensive’.

Jonathan McQueen agrees:

‘Lampost charging is expensive, inconvenient, and unreliable’.

Hounslow does not allow charging cables to run across public pavements from homes to vehicles parked on the street for safety reasons, but has ruled out introducing pavement gullies in the past:

‘We have explored the trial and rollout of cable gullies (channels built into pavements), but currently do not plan to introduce gullies throughout the borough.

‘This is because gullies:

• create maintenance and safety concerns
• may increase risks for pedestrians and disabled users
• do not guarantee access to a parking space outside a property
• would be difficult and costly to manage at scale’

But supporters of the petition say:

‘Sooner or later it is inevitable that home charging via gullies will be allowed as EV ownership grows. Hounslow have the chance to lead and be progressive in supporting EV ownership and ensuring it is affordable for all’.

David Nicol writes:

‘The council policy conflicts with the broader objective nationally of phasing out fossil fuel powered vehicles. This leaves residents vulnerable to private providers who exploit the situation but without an adequate number of charge points and poor reliability’.

The organiser of the petition argues the council’s stance is not justified and urges Hounslow to review their policy for the following reasons:

‘The simplest and most straightforward refutation of their arguments is the fact of councils around the country permitting them.

‘Of 134 councils who responded to a recent FOI request, 7 permit charging gullies already, 21 are in trial stage, and 28 plan to roll them out in 2026.

‘In addition, the national government has planned legislation to make them permitted development at the national level (though the timing of this is ambiguous)’.

They say introducing pavement gullies would reduce dependence on public charging stations, which are often inconveniently located or constantly in use, and encourage more residents to switch to electric vehicles by offering a practical home charging solution.

See the petition here:

Allow pavement gullies in Hounslow for EV charging

See Hounslow Council’s guidance on EV charging here:

Electric vehicle (EV) charging