News from Easton on the Hill Parish Council

Charging cables for electric vehicles

The Parish Council had reason to seek advice from North Northamptonshire (NNC) on the use of charging cables at people's houses and particularly where cables might be left across a verge or path and they advised the following which residents may find useful;

"In the absence of specific legislation dealing with this issue, NNC has had to develop its own policy, which must also fit in with our other highway policies. This has been a long process, one which is still ongoing, and so this information must be seen as a temporary position.

That being said, with the increasing number of plug-in electric cars in the county, it has become necessary to address the issue of their being charged while parked outside the owners’ homes. This is almost always done via a cable plugged into the house mains, which means that the cable will invariably be running across the public highway (paved footway and/or grass verge) outside the house, in turn creating a potential hazard to pedestrians as they could trip over the cable while walking by. North Northamptonshire Council, as the Highway Authority, has a duty of care towards the travelling public and as the hazard caused by charging cables is both inherent and predictable we have generally taken a strong line against them. This stance has become increasingly unviable in recent years, and so we are currently taking the view that we will take no specific action against charging cables provided that those operating them adhere to the following conditions:

A “cable-safe” system should be used which should be brightly coloured and must be used for as long as the cable remains in place.

The cable should not be fixed to the highway.

The cable should not be left out on the highway overnight in an unlit area.

Given the above, residents would remain liable for any incidents that may occur as a result of placing a cable across the public highway (footway or verge).

We would therefore strongly recommend that residents have or obtain public liability insurance (a minimum of £5 million) to cover the cable. This is because there is still a great deal of uncertainty as to whether regular car insurance would provide any cover in the instance of a charging cable being deemed to be the proximate cause of an accident. Also, their own house insurance may not cover this activity outside your home.

Cutting back of hedges

Please can all residents with a hedge in their garden that goes along a footpath ensure that it is kept trimmed back and does not overhang or protrude over the footpath. There are a few places where it is increasingly difficult to walk by without stepping in the road, especially if you have a pushchair or mobility scooter. Thank you.

Anti-social behaviour and other local crime

If you sign up to www.northamptonshiretalking.co.uk you can receive email updates about crime and suspicious activity where you live or work, crime prevention advice and updates from your local neighbourhood policing team. You'll also have the opportunity to reply directly to your neighbourhood officers and have your say on local policing priorities.

If you need to report a crime, and it is non-urgent, ring 101 or even better report on line. https://www.northants.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/

Longhurst residents can contact Longhurst directly for help to report anti-social behaviour issues and get advice at www.longhurst-group.org,uk or the general enquiry number is 03453090700.

Jenny Rice

Clerk to the Parish Council

clerk@eastononthehill-pc.gov.uk or tel 07889669550