Millions of electric vehicle owners without a driveway are set to miss out on a rule change designed to make their lives considerably easier. Legislation coming into effect on October 21 means residents without off-street parking in England will be permitted to install EV charging points and run cables beneath the pavement to connect their vehicles without requiring special planning permission.
Conservation areas excluded from new rules
However, in an amendment to the new regulations, this will no longer apply to those residing in conservation areas. The alteration to the proposals was made on September 25 excluding households in England's 10,600 conservation areas, home to more than 6.8 million people, with approximately 3.4 million of those lacking driveways.
This means that while residents in these areas may still potentially install cross-pavement cables, they will first need to obtain specific planning permission before proceeding. This will need to be applied for through the relevant local planning authority.
Government defends decision
The government defended the decision, stating it was necessary to preserve the "special character" of these areas. A government spokesman 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."
What is the October 21 law change
The update follows the government's announcement that it was scrapping a significant obstacle to cross-pavement EV charging, which stands to benefit eight million households in terraced homes or flats. It confirmed that from October 21 it would remove the need for separate planning application for homes that need access to an EV charger but don't have a driveway.
Estimates suggest it could save EV drivers approximately £40 annually. The move was welcomed by motoring specialists including Daniel Briggs, CEO at frontline worker car discount company Motorfinity, who said: "Scrapping planning red tape is an overdue win for fair access to EV charging, making it easier for those wanting to make the switch from petrol to EV."
However, he cautioned that the "bottleneck hasn't entirely vanished" as, rather than planning permission, local highway authorities would now be required to grant approval. He warned that this "could create a postcode lottery of enforcement".
He added: "There's a need for a national standard for what counts as a safe way to run a cable across a pavement, without which approval could be quick in one area and very slow in the next. Those wanting to apply for cross-pavement charging will likely face inconsistent approval timelines depending on where they happen to live."
The EV Guy on Facebook suggested the updated regulations were still "making charging easier for millions of people", while pointing out that conservation areas have always been subject to more stringent planning restrictions.
He said: "They're specifically designated to protect the architectural character, historic significance and appearance of our towns, villages and neighbourhoods. There are restrictions on everything from replacing windows and altering buildings to certain types of external development."
"The entire point is to preserve the high standards, heritage and historic character of these areas. So why would anyone be surprised that installing infrastructure across pavements in these protected locations might require additional consideration?"
He added: "People living in conservation areas can still apply for planning permission. Local authorities can even grant blanket permission for these installations across entire areas."
