Fury as Ealing Council Rules Out EV Gully Trial
Owners in the borough will need to use lamppost charging points
A gully to enable safe cross pavement EV charging. Picture: Department for Transport
September 5, 2025
A senior Ealing councillor has confirmed it will not proceed with a trial of electric vehicle (EV) cable gullies. This decision has sparked criticism from residents and campaigners who argue the move undermines equitable access to home charging and contradicts national policy.
Cllr Paul Driscoll, who holds responsibility for transport matters, said in an email response to a resident that the council had considered the option for a gully trial this months following new developments over the summer. In recent months, London Councils has recommended boroughs consider gullies as an option for safe charging. Cllr Driscoll says that Ealing’s existing plans to expand lamp column charging in partnership with other north and west London boroughs were taken into account as well as recent government announcements, and what the Council described as a lack of “full and comprehensive outcomes” from other boroughs’ trials.
However, residents have pushed back, citing Ealing’s own EV survey in which 75% of respondents supported cable gullies—small pavement channels that allow residents without driveways to safely run charging cables to their vehicles. Critics argue that by refusing even a pilot scheme, the Council is ignoring public opinion and missing out on government funding earmarked for such initiatives.
Joe Stean, a local resident, described the decision as “short-sighted and unacceptable,” pointing to the Department for Transport’s £25 million ring-fenced fund for cross-pavement charging solutions. He noted that councils including Richmond, Brent, Enfield, and Nottinghamshire are actively trialling gullies and sharing findings. Nottinghamshire reportedly invited Ealing to observe its trial, but the offer was declined.
Opponents of the decision also raise concerns about equity. Without access to home charging, residents in terraced homes or flats are left reliant on private charging networks, which can be significantly more expensive. Estimates suggest that public charging can cost up to £60 per session, compared to around £4.50 for overnight home charging. Over time, this disparity could amount to thousands of pounds annually for regular EV users.
Mr Stean accused the Council of favouring commercial operators and failing to uphold its climate commitments. “This is more than bad policy—it’s hypocrisy,” he said. “EV adoption will stall in Ealing, not because residents don’t want change, but because the Council won’t let them.”
In response, Councillor Driscoll acknowledged the interest in gully charging and the feedback received during the Council’s EV Charging Strategy consultation. He stated that while other boroughs have launched trials, published outcomes remain limited, and concerns persist around footway safety, liability, and compatibility with other transport schemes such as cycle lanes.
The Council has not published a detailed cost-benefit analysis of its decision, prompting calls for greater transparency. Campaigners argue that if outcomes are genuinely lacking, the logical step would be to run a trial and contribute to the national evidence base.
An Ealing Council spokesperson said, “Ealing Council is focused on delivering the right mix of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure for the borough, and we have more than 1,000 charge points already in place. We successfully secured government funding recently to install over 1,000 more lamp column charging points, and we aim to provide 2,500 by 2030 to make it even easier for residents to charge EVs.
“The council decided not to move forward with an EV gully trial, for the time being, to consider its use alongside other uses of the pavement and kerb. We took into account the needs of the people using the borough’s pavements, including the elderly and less able-bodied individuals, especially those on wheels and people with visual impairments. Gullies can have a significant impact on the feel and safety of pavements for residents walking or wheeling. Gullies would also involve significant upfront costs for residents, and would only be cheaper than lamp column charging after five years.
“We are currently developing a kerbside strategy and will engage with residents about it next summer. The council’s aim is to ensure that our decisions will benefit as many local people as possible.
“While the time is not right to proceed with an EV gully trial now, we will continue to learn from trials in other local authorities. In addition, we are also looking into the enforcement of cross pavement charging breaches.”
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