A major UK law change coming into effect on October 21 will allow households without driveways to install an EV charger on their house and use cables embedded in the pavement to connect to a car parked on the road. The change in legislation on EV charger installation will open up EV ownership to millions more households which could not previously charge an EV outside without running an illegal trip hazard cable across the pavement.
Conservation area exception
However, the law change has one key exception: those living in a conservation area who do not have a driveway will still be banned from installing an EV charger embedded in the pavement by default, and will have to apply for planning permission which could be rejected. From October 21, new GPDO changes will allow for the installation of wall-mounted chargers for front gardens or the outside walls of flats, but this will still exclude those living in listed buildings or conservation areas.
The last-minute tweak to the legislation was put in place on September 25, just before the law was put into force. A government spokesperson told The Times: “We want to support households without off-street parking to access domestic electric vehicle charging, but it’s vital that we continue to protect the special character of our conservation areas.
“People in conservation areas without off-street parking can still apply for planning permission to install a cross-pavement solution. Local authorities also have powers to grant blanket permission for these installations in an entire area if they choose to.”
Streamlining the process
Following a consultation period, the changes affect the development rights required when installing electric vehicle charging points. Under existing rules, drivers who do not have a driveway would need to obtain several different permissions from local authorities in order to install a cross-pavement charging solution. These so-called ‘charging gullies’ allow drivers to run a cable from their homes to their vehicles without causing a trip hazard for pedestrians.
Under the new permitted development rights (PDRs), drivers would no longer have to submit a separate planning application, ‘streamlining processes and reducing costs for property owners and developers’ according to the Government. However, each installation would still require approval by the local council.
James Court, public policy director at Octopus Electric Vehicles, said: “Removing planning permission for cross-pavement charging is a sensible step and will cut an unnecessary bit of red tape for drivers without a driveway. But it doesn’t solve the bigger problem. Councils will still decide whether these installations can go ahead, leaving us with a postcode lottery where one council enables cheap home charging.
“With around 40% of households without off-street parking, closing the ‘driveway divide’ means making safe cross-pavement charging available to everyone who needs it. This is a positive step, but there’s more to do.”
Changes to car park chargers
Another change included in the proposal will see multiple equipment cabinets for EV chargers being allowed to be installed in car parks. Under current rules, just a single equipment cabinet – containing aspects such as transformers, control equipment and batteries – can be installed in a single car park. The new rules would allow multiple equipment cabinets to be installed in a single site, freeing up the possibility of a greater number of high-powered electric chargers.
