Moray approves cross-pavement EV charging rules with £923 fee

Moray Council has approved rules supporting home EV charging for residents who park on public streets, with a £923 agreement fee for installing charging cables across public pavements.

The policy supports cable gullies that carry charging cables below the pavement surface rather than leaving them across the pedestrian route. Councillors approved it on 8 September 2026, according to Grampian Online’s report published that day.

For households without driveways, the decision offers a route towards home charging. But permission to install the infrastructure should not be confused with having a reserved parking space outside the property — an issue councillors raised during the debate.

What Moray has approved

The council’s economic development and infrastructure services committee agreed to implement a policy supporting cross-pavement charging through cable gullies.

These allow a cable to pass underground across the pavement, avoiding the trip hazard associated with a cable lying on the walking surface. The homeowner or service provider will be responsible for the infrastructure’s cost and maintenance.

Residents wishing to install a charging cable across a public pavement must apply for a Section 109 Agreement under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. As the local reports explain, this allows a person or organisation to place, maintain or remove apparatus in a public road.

Applicants must also meet criteria set out by the Scottish Collaboration of Transportation Specialists, known as SCOTS. The approval is therefore a framework for permitted installations, not a blanket invitation to run a charging cable over the pavement.

What the £923 covers

The agreement costs £923. That figure includes, rather than sits alongside, the fee normally associated with a roads opening permit for minor works, currently £195.

Committee chair Councillor Marc Macrae said the application charge would recover the council’s costs of assessing applications and inspecting installations.

The agreement fee is not presented in the reports as an all-inclusive installation price. With the homeowner or service provider responsible for the infrastructure, residents should distinguish between the council charge and the cost of the charging installation itself.

That distinction matters when assessing affordability: knowing the agreement fee alone does not establish the total amount a household will need to fund.

Grant support is available

Both Grampian Online and The Press and Journal report that Scottish Government support is available through the Energy Saving Trust’s Cross-pavement charging grant. Council approval must be obtained to qualify, and the £923 agreement charge can be claimed as part of that funding.

Buckie councillor Sonya Warren questioned how far the grant would stretch, particularly for low-income households and people relying on a pension.

Diane Anderson, who authored the policy report, told the committee that grant funding was provided before payment for the Section 109 agreement was required.

The supplied reports do not state a grant ceiling or provide a complete installation budget. Residents should therefore check the grant’s current terms and their proposed installation costs rather than assume every expense will be covered.

Parking remains the complication

The central concern was not simply where the cable goes, but whether residents would expect exclusive use of the street outside their home after paying for an installation.

Elgin City North councillor Jérémie Fernandes warned that installing a charger could make people feel entitled to a space, even though the parking remained on a public road. He asked whether the policy could be stopped after a year if it led to too many disputes.

Head of environmental and commercial services Nicola Moss said policies could be amended, while backing the proposal as a positive step.

For prospective applicants, the practical distinction is important: a pavement crossing addresses the cable’s route, but does not resolve whether the adjoining parking space will be available when charging is needed.

A one-year review

The committee agreed to review the policy after one year to assess its operation and whether changes are needed.

That gives the council an opportunity to revisit the concerns raised about parking and affordability. It does not mean the policy was approved without those concerns; councillors explicitly debated both before agreeing to proceed.

Implications for employers

For employers supporting EV adoption, Moray’s decision highlights why an employee’s parking arrangements deserve attention alongside charging costs. A home without a driveway may have another charging option, but council permission, installation funding and access to a suitable parking space remain separate questions.

HR and people teams should avoid presenting cross-pavement charging as universally available. Employers exploring how EV charging salary sacrifice works should likewise keep scheme arrangements distinct from the local permissions needed for an installation. This decision concerns Moray; it is not a UK-wide approval for pavement cable gullies.