Trial of on-street charging for electric vehicles proposed

Lewis Smith, Local Democracy Reporter

Owners of electric vehicles in a Welsh county that don’t have a driveway where they can charge them may be able to take part in an on-street trial.

Neath Port Talbot Council has said it could look at trialling a pilot scheme in the future as the use of electric vehicles becomes more wide-spread and the demand for charging grows.

The move was discussed at a council cabinet meeting in April, 2025, where members heard about the plans which have already been looked at by a number of other councils across Wales.

Report

The report read: “Home charging is a popular form of charging an electric vehicle due to the convenience, and ability to benefit from discounted domestic Electric Vehicle (EV) tariffs for electricity which can significantly
reduce running costs.

“Home charging can cost as little as 7p per kWh compared with up to 91p per kWh at a public rapid charger, although this price varies by provider.

“This is not a problem where a resident has off-road parking such as a driveway, but presents issues for the council as highway authority where residents do not and have to park on-street.

“Councils across Wales, including Neath Port Talbot, are receiving correspondence regarding requests to trail cables across the highway in order to charge vehicles on-street, outside of houses.”

Issues

However, the report said that there could be a number of issues with this trial as the cables could potentially cause a “tripping hazard” for elderly, disabled, partially sighted or blind pedestrians.

It added that this could be solved through the use of a “high visibility cable mat protector” or if approved, with the installation of a cable channel built in the foot-way.

The move to go ahead with the trial would allow the local authority to be “proactive” as the UK Government plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030.

It could also help address concerns about the availability of charging points, particularly for people living in terraced houses.

Figures show that there are currently 11 rapid chargers set up across the county borough in locations such as Jersey Marine, Neath, Baglan Moors, Aberavon and Glynneath.

After a presentation from officers, cabinet members later agreed to modify the council policy on on-street charging to allow for a limited trial of on-street home charging.

The plans will now be taken to the environment regeneration and street scene services committee for scrutiny, with more details on locations and cost expected to be brought forward before it can begin.