Electric vehicle charge points on a house frontage
Part 2 of the GPDO covers wall mounted charging outlets and freestanding upstands. Cables across the pavement are a highway offence, and no permitted development right helps.
EV charge point planning permission is usually unnecessary. Part 2 of Schedule 2 to the General Permitted Development Order 2015 contains two classes for electric vehicle charging: one for an outlet mounted on a wall, and one for a freestanding upstand within the curtilage. Between them they cover the great majority of domestic installations, including within the curtilage of a block of flats.
Where installations go wrong it is rarely the planning position. It is the cable crossing the pavement, the listed building, the main fuse rating, or a lease that says nothing about charging.
The rights for wall mounted and upstand equipment
The two classes work differently and it is worth knowing which one you are relying on.
The wall-mounted class covers the installation, alteration or replacement of an electrical outlet on a wall for recharging electric vehicles, within the curtilage of a dwellinghouse or a building containing flats. That is the standard wallbox on the side of the house or the garage.
The upstand class covers a freestanding post carrying the outlet, again within the curtilage. That is the answer where there is no wall in a sensible position, which is common on a driveway set away from the house or in a shared parking court.
Both classes carry a condition that the equipment is removed as soon as reasonably practicable once it is no longer needed. That sounds academic and it matters on a sale or a change of use.
The numerical limits in these classes have been reviewed and amended more than once as charging has become mainstream. The Order has set a volume limit on a wall-mounted outlet and its casing, a height limit on an upstand measured from the surface used for parking, a restriction on equipment facing onto and close to a highway, and a limit of one upstand per parking space. Check the current text of Part 2 before you order equipment rather than relying on a summary written a couple of years ago.
Height limits and boundary distances
Two dimensions do most of the work.
Height on an upstand is measured from the level of the surface used for parking the vehicle, not from the general ground level of the garden. On a sloping drive that distinction can be a couple of hundred millimetres, so measure at the point where the post will stand.
Proximity to the highway is the restriction that catches front garden installations. Where equipment would face onto and sit close to a highway, the class does not apply, and the reason is straightforward: a charge point at the back edge of the footway invites a cable across it. Setting the unit back, or mounting it on the flank rather than the front elevation, usually brings it back within the rights.
Where neither is possible, a householder application is a short and inexpensive exercise and these applications are rarely contentious.
Highways and charging across a footway
This is the real constraint on terraced housing without off-street parking, and permitted development does nothing for it.
Running a cable across a public footway to a car parked at the kerb is an obstruction of the highway. Wilful obstruction is an offence under section 137 of the Highways Act 1980, and leaving a trip hazard across a pavement also exposes you to a civil claim if someone falls. Cable protectors and mats do not make it lawful, and a highway authority that receives a complaint will tell you to stop.
There are two lawful routes and both involve the highway authority.
- A cross-pavement channel or gully, installed under the footway surface with a flush cover, permitted under a licence or agreement with the authority. Availability varies by area and many authorities now run a scheme for these.
- A vehicle crossing over the footway, so the car is on your own land. That needs the highway authority's approval under section 184 of the Highways Act 1980, and it may be refused on visibility or on loss of on-street parking.
Ask the authority which options it offers before spending anything, because the answer differs sharply between areas and there is no national right to either.
| Situation | Planning position | Other consent needed |
|---|---|---|
| Wallbox on a flank wall, off-street parking | Usually permitted development | Building control notification for the circuit |
| Upstand on a driveway set back from the road | Usually permitted development | Building control notification |
| Equipment facing and close to a highway | Check the class limits; may need permission | Possibly a crossover approval |
| Listed building | Rights restricted, consent likely needed | Listed building consent |
| Cable across the footway | Not a planning matter | Not lawful without a highway channel |
| New or widened dropped kerb | Separate from planning | Section 184 approval |
Conservation areas and listed buildings
In a conservation area the rights survive, and the restriction on equipment facing onto and near a highway bites harder because so many properties in conservation areas have short front gardens or none.
On a listed building the position is different and stricter. Fixing equipment to the building, or installing it within the curtilage, engages the listing, and listed building consent is likely to be required for anything attached to the fabric. Permitted development rights are also restricted within the curtilage of a listed building, so do not assume the class applies.
The practical design answer at a listed property is to get the equipment off the historic fabric altogether: a low upstand behind a wall, a unit inside an outbuilding with a tethered lead, or a socket within a garage. Where consent is needed, a short Heritage Statement explaining the significance of the building and why the chosen position causes least harm is what the conservation officer will want to see.
An Article 4 direction can withdraw the class entirely in a defined area. Check the council's constraints map, which takes minutes.
Flats and shared parking areas
The classes extend to the curtilage of a building containing flats, which surprises people, and planning is usually the easy part.
The difficulties are property law and electrical capacity. A leaseholder generally needs the freeholder's consent to fix equipment to the structure or to take a supply across common parts, and many leases predate the question entirely. Where the parking is unallocated, a charge point serving one space raises a fairness issue the managing agent has to resolve rather than the planning system.
Where a block is being altered more substantially the analysis differs in other respects too, as our note on extending a flat or maisonette sets out.
For a block, the sensible approach is a shared infrastructure scheme rather than individual units: a single supply with metered points, sized for future demand. That is a decision for the freeholder and it saves the building from a decade of one-off installations.
Electrical supply capacity
The question nobody asks before ordering. A typical domestic single-phase supply has a main fuse well below what a heat pump, an electric shower, a cooker and a charge point drawing around 32 amps would want simultaneously.
The answers are load management, where the charger monitors the incoming supply and reduces its draw, or a supply upgrade, which means an application to the distribution network operator with a lead time and a cost. Load management is the usual and less costly route, and it is worth specifying deliberately rather than discovering the need after the first tripped main fuse.
Regulations on smart charge points require domestic units to have smart functionality with default off-peak charging schedules, so equipment sold for domestic use should already comply. The installation itself is notifiable electrical work, and for new dwellings and larger renovations Approved Document S sets requirements for charging infrastructure that are separate from any of this.
Illustrative example: a 1930s semi with a driveway, a 7 kW wallbox on the flank wall three metres back from the footway, load management set against an existing 80 amp main fuse, and no planning application required. The owner checks the constraints map for an Article 4 direction first and notifies building control through the installer. Details here are illustrative.
What to check before ordering
Five things, in this order. Whether an Article 4 direction applies and whether the property is listed. Where the unit can sit relative to the highway. Whether parking is on your own land or at the kerb. What the main fuse rating is and whether load management is needed. And who owns the wall you intend to fix it to.
Where an application does turn out to be needed, it is a short one. A Planning Statement covering the position, appearance and the reason a less prominent location does not work is usually sufficient.
Enter your postcode on PlanScope to see which reports works at your address are likely to need. This is general guidance, not legal advice; check the position with your local planning authority or a qualified professional before relying on it. PlanScope provides AI-assisted draft reports for planning applications. Reports should be reviewed before submission. We do not guarantee planning approval.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need planning permission for a home charge point?
Usually not. Part 2 of Schedule 2 to the GPDO 2015 contains classes for a wall mounted outlet and for a freestanding upstand, both within the curtilage of a dwellinghouse or a building containing flats. The numerical limits have been amended more than once, so check the current text of Part 2 before ordering equipment.
How is the height of an upstand measured?
From the level of the surface used for parking the vehicle, not from general garden ground level. On a sloping driveway that difference can be a couple of hundred millimetres, so take the measurement at the exact point where the post will stand rather than at the nearest convenient spot.
Can I run a cable across the pavement?
No. That is an obstruction of the highway, wilful obstruction is an offence under section 137 of the Highways Act 1980, and a trip hazard across a footway exposes you to a civil claim. Cable protectors do not make it lawful. Ask the highway authority about a cross-pavement channel scheme or a vehicle crossing instead.
What about a listed building?
Permitted development rights are restricted within the curtilage of a listed building, and fixing equipment to the fabric is likely to need listed building consent. The practical answer is to keep the unit off the historic fabric altogether: a low upstand behind a wall, a socket inside a garage, or a unit within an outbuilding.
Can a leaseholder in a block install a charge point?
The planning classes extend to the curtilage of a building containing flats, so planning is usually the easy part. The freeholder's consent is normally needed to fix to the structure or take a supply across common parts, and where parking is unallocated the managing agent has to resolve the allocation question.
Will my electricity supply take a charger?
Often only with load management. A typical single phase domestic main fuse will not comfortably carry a 32 amp charger alongside a shower, cooker and heat pump running together. Load management, where the unit monitors the incoming supply and reduces its draw, is the usual answer; a supply upgrade means applying to the network operator.
Sources and further reading
This article is general guidance about the planning system in England and, where stated, the rest of the UK. It is not legal or professional advice. Check your local planning authority’s validation requirements and take professional advice for your specific site.