Residents on terraced streets across Norfolk who want to charge electric vehicles at home will have to wait longer for a permanent solution, after the Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Transport indicated no immediate plans to join a government-backed trial scheme.

Cllr Paul Neale raised the issue at the 24 March meeting of Full Council, noting that the government announced £25m in August 2025 to fund pavement cable channel trials — allowing residents to run charging cables safely across pavements from their homes. He pointed out that Suffolk County Council had already taken up the initiative, and asked when Norfolk would follow.

The Cabinet Member said Norfolk already operates a scheme where residents can pay a £69 fee to install a temporary cable to charge from home, provided they can park directly outside their property. However, he acknowledged this does not work for those on terraced streets without dedicated parking.

He cited two key obstacles to a permanent solution: the risk of disputes over car parking if hard cables were installed, and requirements set by Active Travel England for minimum pavement widths, which could force costly relocation of underground utilities. He said there was "no resolution to this issue across the UK at present".

The exchange highlights a growing tension between residents keen to switch to electric vehicles and the practical barriers facing those in older housing without driveways or garages — a common situation across many of Norfolk's urban neighbourhoods.