[SaE]

Hi there. advice welcome! I’ve just been told that it may not be possible to install an EV charge point in my allocated parking due to my house’s location. The cable would have to run outside/underground one neighbours property (they are in agreement but want everything legit). Their property is part owned by a housing association, and I’ve just received this email (11 months of chasing and this is first substantial response I’ve had). Does this email ring true? The cable would not contravene any of the issues below except for being outside a neighbours property.

Our Electrical team have looked at your application and advised me that the cabling for the EV Charge point cannot run across/through public highways, footpaths or neighbouring properties or through drainage channels, this is in accordance with British Standard and electrical regulations. So unfortunately their advice is that we are unable to give consent for the cabling to run alongside the base of your neighbour’s property.

 

[Jeremy Harris]

There is nothing in the wiring regulations, BS7671:2018+A2 2022 that states you cannot run cables under footpaths or public highways, it's done all the time. You can't run a fixed cable through a drainage channel, and you can't run a fixed cable over the surface of a path, but the other locations mentioned are all fine as far as the regs are concerned.

Cables are routinely run along the base of walls, and very often run just below ground level along the base of a wall, so they are hidden. As long as the correct type of cable is used there is absolutely nothing in the regulations to prevent this.

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

There might be local regulations that prohibit some of that (?).

You would need written permission of the owners (all owners including the HA) to have the cable crossing any other property. Would the cable run across any public/local authority owned land, footpath, road etc? If so you would need written permission from the local authority for that.

If you have the written permissions I can't think of any reason not to install but it is difficult to be definitive without seeing more detail.

 

[SaE]

Super helpful both of you, thank you. The cable would only around the outside of my direct neighbours property, straight into my owned parking space (been advised that I’d need a pole in the ground to mount plug). No public /LA/footpath or other land. It could be a housing assoc issue. I’ll try and speak to someone in the local Council. Headache!
thanks so much,they may have thought I’d give up if they threw some legislation-y words at me. 😑

 

[SaE]

Super helpful both of you, thank you. The cable would only around the outside of my direct neighbours property, straight into my owned parking space (been advised that I’d need a pole in the ground to mount plug). No public /LA/footpath or other land. It could be a housing assoc issue. I’ll try and speak to someone in the local Council. Headache!
thanks so much,they may have thought I’d give up if they threw some legislation-y words at me. 😑

I’ve replied to the housing association quoting bits from your replies- thanks so much!

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

I hope you don't give up. It really doesn't look like it would be complicated.

 

[Rbrian]

Super helpful both of you, thank you. The cable would only around the outside of my direct neighbours property, straight into my owned parking space (been advised that I’d need a pole in the ground to mount plug). No public /LA/footpath or other land. It could be a housing assoc issue. I’ll try and speak to someone in the local Council. Headache!
thanks so much,they may have thought I’d give up if they threw some legislation-y words at me. 😑

It might be worth speaking to your MP. It's likely they're mostly worried about liability, but if it's all agreed and buried sufficiently deep there shouldn't be a problem. Where do they think the power cables feeding your consumer unit go?

I looked through the regulations for my house, after I asked and they just said "ask your neighbours". This didn't satisfy me; I wanted to make sure it was all above board, so I read through 45 pages of dense legalise, and on page 43 found something which essentially said ask your neighbours. I used Paint 3D (free with Windows 10 and 11) to superimpose an electric van and a charger on a street view picture of my space, printed it out and gave it to the neighbours. 4 of 12 returned it and agreed, nobody disagreed, so I took this as assent and went ahead.

I also needed a pillar, and as the official Zappi one is always out of stock, I bought one from EVCAP - Mounting Post for any Car Charger. Its taking longer than I'd hoped, but the cable is in, and I have an appointment on the 7th of June to get it all wired up. My new electric van will arrive 2 weeks before then, so I'll be doing a lot of public charging.

 

[phiaji]

Your feedback was very helpful; it made them take me seriously. THANK YOU. However, after around a year of hassling, this the response from the housing association re a cable running across the neighbours property. Disappointing.
I have decided to install the charge point to the front of my house, and run the cable over the footpath. Hopefully the neighbours won't blow up at me.



Installation of EV charge point –



Further to your request regarding the above, I’ve now had a response from our Electrical Team.



You indicated that the electrical cabling would need to run across the neighbouring property to your allocated parking space and therefore you would need our consent for this.



As part of assessing your request to install the EV charging point, we consider your reasons for wanting this to be carried out but also have to consider the potential impact on your neighbour’s home and the surrounding area. We have assessed your request and unfortunately we are unable to give consent for any cabling to run across the neighbouring property.



You would have to enter into legal agreement with us and your neighbours (this would be at your expense), but we would not be in agreement because of the following reasons -

• Neighbours fall out and may request the cabling to be removed.
• There is a risk if the cable is buried of a cable strike, which could cause injury and result in parties being sued - Buried Cables (Electricity At Work Act Guidance 6 Section 88a)
• If your neighbour was to move, a new agreement would have to be drawn up with the new owner, providing they also agreed.
• You are introducing a potential hazard into a neighbouring property.
• Our Electrical supervising team have spoken to the NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting) and they have advised against giving permission and that the Electrical contractor should also advise against it.

A charge cable can be run from the property to the parking space but at present the longest cable available is 20 meters and as the attached Highways Act states its illegal. However, the LGA (Local Government Association) state that the cable can run across a pavement but only when charging, if someone trips over it then the owner is liable. Our electrical team have provided the attached information which might be helpful; We also recommend contacting your local authority.



I appreciate this wasn’t the outcome you were hoping for, if you would like to discuss this further or have any question you can contact our Renewables Technologies Team via Renewable.Techno[email protected] or please contact me using the information below.

 

[phiaji]

I hope you don't give up. It really doesn't look like it would be complicated.

Thank you. The local council said it was nothing to do with them. The County Council said they would need more information, ie my address. I chose not to reply, as I really don't want them telling me directly that I CAN"T do it. Perhaps this is the wrong attitude, but I'd rather not directly contravene an order that said what I was doing wasn't legal.

 

[srichards]

@SaE

How are the parking spaces allocated and is there a way of having one that means a direct route for a cable that doesn't pass over neighbour's land?

What percentage of the property do the housing association own?

 

[phiaji]

@SaE

How are the parking spaces allocated and is there a way of having one that means a direct route for a cable that doesn't pass over neighbour's land?

What percentage of the property do the housing association own?

I have bought my place outright, so am able to install a charger on my home. I don't know what percentage of their home my neighbours own. Unfortunately, there is only way way to get to my parking space, and it's over their garden. It's the closest to my house, no option of asking someone to swap. A LOT of people park up on the kerb, so my car won't look out of place when I charge it overnight, and I've said that my neighbours (who have THREE cars and 1 allocated space) can use my space when I'm parked out front...

 

[srichards]

Shame there's no other alternative space.

 

[artyman]

Sooner or later these people are going to have to face up to the fact that many more are going to need chargers and this obstructive stance is eventually going to annoy an awful lot of people as more switch to EV's