Senior councillors gave the go-ahead to the EV Charging – Cross Pavement Solutions proposal on Monday 19 October. The scheme, which will be trialled for a year, allows residents without off-street parking to safely route a charging cable from a wallbox across the public pavement to their parked car. The cable will run through an enclosed channel or gully in the pavement.
Applicants whose properties meet the criteria will pay a fixed fee, with the first 240 receiving a £500 discount on their initial fee. The proposal aims to address the needs of the approximately 28 per cent of households in Trafford that lack off-street parking, supporting the UK's decarbonisation objectives and the predicted rise in EV adoption, with the Government's Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate forecasting 80 per cent of new car sales to be zero-emission by 2030.
Cllr Stephen Adshead, Trafford Council's Executive Member for Highways and Environmental Services, stated, "We are seeing a big increase in the number of EV drivers in Trafford and we, as a Council, have to react accordingly. This scheme will help EV drivers without off-street parking to charge their cars at home and that only be good news. The Council is committed to take meaningful action to reduce carbon emissions and support the transition to a low‑carbon economy and this scheme will help us fulfil our aims."
Cllr Tom Ross, Leader of Trafford Council, added, "The Council has actively been pursuing ways to make EV charging easier to try and encourage drivers to go electric. This scheme will help us do just that and supports our commitments to the environment."
The Council is working with multiple Charging Point Operators to enhance public EV infrastructure across Trafford. Through its partnership with Be.EV, it provides 77 public charging bays, and with Amey, it has supported 74 on-street charging sockets. Discussions are also underway with Greater Manchester stakeholders regarding future funding opportunities for further charging infrastructure.
