Do I need permission to install a car charging point?
At the moment, there are around 5M electric and hybrid cars on UK streets and estimates say that there may be as many as 36M by the year 2040. If you’re considering buying one, then it pays to know whether you’re going to need a permission to install a charging point at your home or in a commercial setting.
Is permission required for a home charging station?
As long as you have off-road parking at your home, you won’t need to secure any planning permission to install a charging station but you do need to stay in line with the current legislation. This means that your charging point must be at least 2 metres away from a public road or street; the electrical socket casing or cover must be under 0.2 cubic metres in size, and; if you’re having the casing fitted on an up-stand, then the height should not exceed 1.6 metres.
However, if you live in a conservation area where your charging point is clearly visible to the general public, then you may need to secure planning permission. Also, if you want to create an off-street charging space in your front garden, you will need planning permission for a dropped kerb.
Tenants, however, will indefinitely require planning permission to install EV charging points since the council is the property owner and they require tenants to seek permission. Furthermore, permission is also needed if tenants wish to make a claim against the contribution through the Homecharge Scheme to cover the cost of the installation.
Finally, if your property is a listed building, you must obtain planning permission from the local council. Interestingly, the Prime Minister announced very recently that all new homes and buildings across England are required to install EV charging points by law, starting next year.
Is permission required for a public or commercial charging station?
It’s been reported that hardly 60% of EV owners are currently using home charging stations, so if you’re planning to install a public or commercial charging station, it may be a wise investment, especially with so many drivers going green and the Government working hard to introduce more eco-friendly initiatives.
According to the 2015 Town and Country Planning Act, permitted development rights are applicable to charging points which are under 1.6 metres tall and more than 2 metres away from a highway or freeway. This means that commercial and/or public EV charging station owners do not need to secure planning permission for either standard or fast charging points.
However, since rapid charging units have a greater local environment impact, some rapid charger installations require planning permission, depending on their height. In addition, rapid chargers are mostly taller than 1.6 metres, which means you will indefinitely require planning permission.
Final thoughts on planning permission for EV charging station installation
The above considerations are merely to help familiarise you with instances where planning permission may be needed – since legislation is always being updated and many other considerations can come into play, it is recommended that you speak to an EV charger expert to better understand if you need to obtain planning permission.
