Planning permission to be scrapped for on-street EV chargers

More drivers without access to home chargers could soon find it easier to choose an electric car, thanks to incoming reforms to the way on-street charging points are installed.

The Government announced on Wednesday that it will consult on removing the need for planning permission to install on-street chargers, with the aim of simplifying the process for thousands of drivers to transition to electric vehicles, as well as accelerating the rollout of EV chargers across the UK.

The new plans will consult on removing planning paperwork currently needed to install pavement charging gullies – channels dug into the pavement to house charging cables in an unobtrusive manner.

This would come as a welcome change for business owners and EV drivers with on-street parking, who until now have had to wait several months for the green light from local authorities to be able to install charging infrastructure. Longstanding exemptions meant that drivers with off-street parking did not face the same planning permission obstructions when installing home chargers.

According to the Department for Transport (DfT), removing the need for planning permission could save drivers without driveways – including renters and leaseholders – up to £250 in application fees, while also speeding up the process of installing cross-pavement chargers.

This follows the Government's decision to remove the need for planning permission to install public or private EV sockets for businesses and electric car owners with driveways back in May. While these decisions simplify the process for many EV owners with and without off-street parking, experts are concerned that more needs to be done to make the entire charging network more accessible, as the costs of public charging remain high.

Vicky Read, chief executive of ChargeUK, said, "Any measure which makes it easier for drivers to make the switch to electric is positive. But in order to make the transition to electric vehicles truly fair we need easily available and affordable charging at home, at work and in public, at on-street, en-route and destination locations. The public and private networks working together to support all drivers. 

"This means creating a supportive investment environment for public charge points, removing barriers to deployment and taking action on costs, including addressing the inequality in standing charges and VAT.”

While the planning permission changes will be subject to consultation, the DfT has confirmed that the new plans will also introduce mandates for covered car parks to supply EV chargers for those parking there. The Government aims to work with national energy regulator Ofgem to ensure landowners don't overcharge tenants for home charging, and that operators offer high quality, reliable connections.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said, "These reforms will improve infrastructure for the EV revolution, increase chargepoints across the country and open up affordable home charging to thousands more households.

"It’s good news for drivers and a big boost for the growing British EV industry – cutting costs and supporting jobs to deliver our Plan for Change."

If the new plans were to go through, it would open up the opportunity for more EV drivers to charge up cheaply at home, and would make it easier for motorists across the country to make the switch to electric.

This move also follows the Government announcement of a £25 million scheme in July to support the installation of discreet gully charging solutions by local authorities. The Government has also promised £381 million worth of funding to go towards rolling out more than 100,000 public chargers across England in the coming years.

In December last year, What Car? published its EV manifesto, citing a number of significant challenges that need to be addressed to aid the transition to electric vehicles. 

The UK is currently falling behind on EV uptake targets, with electric cars representing just 23.3% of the new car market in 2025, according to the SMMT – trailing the 28% target set out by the Government’s ZEV mandate.

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