Surrey County Council Launches Pavement Gully Programme for EV Charging
In a significant step forward for electric vehicle infrastructure in the United Kingdom, Surrey County Council has officially launched a new scheme that provides pavement gullies for EV charging cables. Delivered in partnership with specialist provider Kerbo Charge, the initiative is designed to help residents who do not have off-street parking charge their electric vehicles safely and conveniently from their homes. As EV adoption continues to accelerate across the country, programmes like this are becoming increasingly critical to ensuring that the transition to cleaner transport is accessible to everyone — not just those lucky enough to own a driveway.
What Is a Pavement Gully and Why Does It Matter?
For many people living in terraced streets or urban areas without private driveways, charging an electric vehicle at home has historically presented a genuine challenge. Without a dedicated off-street parking space, the only option has often been to run a charging cable from an indoor socket, across the pavement, and out to a vehicle parked at the kerbside. While understandable, this practice creates a trip hazard for pedestrians, can damage cables over time, and raises legitimate safety concerns.
A pavement gully — sometimes referred to as a cable channel or kerb ramp — is a specially designed conduit installed beneath the surface of the pavement. It allows an EV charging cable to pass safely from a property to a vehicle parked at the kerb, eliminating the need for cables to lie exposed on the pavement surface. The result is a tidier, safer solution that protects both pedestrians and property owners alike.
The Kerbo Charge system, specifically, uses a flush-fitting channel that sits level with the pavement, making it nearly invisible underfoot when not in use. When a resident needs to charge their vehicle, the cable is fed through the gully and the cover is replaced, keeping the pathway clear and hazard-free throughout the charging session.
Surrey County Council's Role in the Scheme
Surrey County Council's decision to roll out this programme signals a proactive approach to EV infrastructure planning at the local authority level. Rather than waiting for a patchwork of private installations to emerge organically, the council has taken a coordinated approach by formally partnering with Kerbo Charge to streamline the application, approval, and installation process for residents across the county.
By embedding the scheme within an official council framework, Surrey is helping to remove many of the bureaucratic barriers that have previously made it difficult for homeowners to install pavement gullies. Residents can apply through a structured process, and because the council is working directly with Kerbo Charge, installations meet consistent safety and quality standards. This also means that the gullies are installed with proper permissions in place, avoiding the legal grey areas that can arise when homeowners attempt to modify pavement infrastructure independently.
The move aligns with broader government targets to phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, with the UK aiming to end such sales entirely in the coming years. Local authorities have a vital role to play in making this transition a reality on the ground, and Surrey's pavement gully programme represents exactly the kind of practical, community-level action that will be required nationwide.
Benefits for Surrey Residents Without Off-Street Parking
The practical benefits of the programme for everyday Surrey residents are considerable. Home charging remains by far the most convenient and cost-effective way to keep an electric vehicle topped up, but it has simply not been a realistic option for millions of households across the UK that rely on on-street parking. This scheme begins to level that playing field.
- Improved safety: Cables running across pavements pose a genuine trip hazard, particularly for elderly residents, young children, and people with visual impairments. A flush-fitted gully eliminates this risk entirely.
- Lower charging costs: Charging at home using a domestic electricity tariff is significantly cheaper than using public rapid chargers. Residents who gain access to safe home charging through the gully scheme can expect to reduce their running costs considerably.
- Convenience: Being able to plug in overnight means drivers wake up to a full battery every morning, with no need to plan trips around charging stops.
- Property protection: Dedicated cable management reduces wear and tear on charging cables, potentially extending the life of equipment and saving money in the long run.
- Community tidiness: A managed installation looks far neater than an improvised cable trailing across the footpath, contributing to the overall appearance of residential streets.
Kerbo Charge: The Company Behind the Technology
Kerbo Charge has established itself as a leading provider of pavement gully solutions in the UK, working with a growing number of local authorities to bring safer, more accessible home EV charging to streets that were never designed with electric vehicles in mind. The company's product is engineered to be durable, weather-resistant, and straightforward to use, making it well-suited to the varied conditions found across British streets.
Their partnership model with local councils is particularly effective because it ensures that installations are completed to a consistent standard, with appropriate highway authority permissions in place from the outset. This gives both residents and councils confidence that the infrastructure is safe, legal, and built to last.
A Blueprint for Other Local Authorities
Surrey County Council's pavement gully programme has the potential to serve as a blueprint for other local authorities across England and Wales that are grappling with the same challenge of extending accessible EV charging to residents without driveways. As EV ownership grows and the demand for convenient home charging increases, councils that act early to put structured schemes in place will be better positioned to meet that demand without a chaotic, ad hoc response down the line.
National government guidance increasingly encourages local authorities to consider pavement cable management solutions as part of their broader EV infrastructure strategies. With that backing, and with proven providers like Kerbo Charge ready to deliver, there is every reason to expect more councils to follow Surrey's lead in the months and years ahead.
How Surrey Residents Can Get Involved
Residents across Surrey who are interested in having a pavement gully installed are encouraged to contact Surrey County Council directly or visit the Kerbo Charge website to find out more about the application process. Given the structured nature of the scheme, interested homeowners should expect to go through a straightforward assessment process to determine suitability, which will take into account factors such as pavement width, cable routing, and the location of the parking space relative to the property.
With electric vehicle uptake showing no signs of slowing down, initiatives like Surrey's pavement gully programme are not a luxury — they are an essential piece of the infrastructure puzzle that will define how smoothly the UK navigates its transition to cleaner, greener transport for all.