Closed petition: Review the Highways Act 1980 to allow safe EV charging cables across pavements

Closed on 17 June 2025

We urge the Government to review the Highways Act 1980 to permit the safe use of charging cables across pavements, under specific conditions. These include cables being placed under protectors, laid flat and straight from property to vehicle, and used during periods of low pedestrian traffic.

We believe current rules impact people living in urban areas, where off-street parking is rare. We think public charging points are often costly, insufficient, and frequently occupied by non-EV vehicles. We think this creates significant barriers to EV ownership, limiting efforts to meet environmental targets and reduce carbon emissions.

We think this change could enable more people to adopt EVs, make sustainable transport more accessible, and ensure safe, minimally disruptive charging solutions for those without off-street parking.