EV charging points: planning rules for homes and car parks
One charger is rarely a planning issue. A charging hub with canopies, cabinets and a substation is a different proposition entirely.
Most electric vehicle charge points go in without a planning application, because Part 2 of Schedule 2 to the General Permitted Development Order 2015 grants rights for wall-mounted outlets and for charging upstands. EV charging planning permission becomes necessary when the equipment exceeds those limits, when it sits on a listed building, or when the installation stops being a charge point and starts being a charging hub.
For a landlord with a small block or a car park, the distinction between one charger and a bank of them is where the planning issue actually lives.
The permitted development classes
Class D covers an electrical outlet mounted on a wall for recharging electric vehicles, within the curtilage of a dwellinghouse or a building, or in an off-street parking area associated with a building.
Class E covers an upstand with a charging point, in the same locations. Both classes carry conditions on size, position and proximity to a highway, along with a requirement to remove the equipment when it is no longer needed for charging.
Part 2 has been amended more than once as charging equipment has changed, so take the current size and height limits from the order rather than from an installer's guidance note. The general shape of the controls has stayed constant: a volume limit on a wall-mounted unit and its casing, a height limit on an upstand, restrictions where the equipment would sit close to and face a highway, and a limit of one upstand for each parking space.
Height, siting and highway-facing limits
The highway restriction is the one that catches domestic installations. A charge point on a front boundary wall or a post at the end of a short driveway can fall foul of it, while the same unit on a side elevation or at the rear does not.
Where the rights are unavailable, the application is a householder one for a house and a full application for anything else, and it is normally straightforward. Councils are generally supportive, and the objections that arise tend to be about cable runs across a public footway rather than about the charger itself. Trailing a cable over a footway is a highways matter and most authorities will not accept it, so the design has to bring the vehicle to the charger. Some authorities run schemes for cable channels set into the footway, and a few permit gully solutions under licence, but that is a decision for the highway authority rather than the planning team and it should be settled before a tenant is promised a charger.
Listed buildings and conservation areas
Permitted development rights do not extend to installations on a listed building, and listed building consent is needed for works affecting its character. That includes the fixings and the cable route as much as the unit.
In a conservation area, the highway-facing restrictions matter more because so much parking is on frontages. Where an application is required, keep the case simple: a unit in a recessive colour, positioned below eye level, with the cable run internally or along an existing service route, and reversible fixings. Say what alternatives were considered and why they were rejected.
Commercial car parks and charging hubs
Scale changes the analysis. A handful of chargers in an existing car park usually remains permitted development or a minor application. A dedicated charging hub with a canopy, lighting, payment terminals, welfare facilities and dozens of bays is a different proposition, and councils often treat it as sui generis rather than as ancillary to whatever the site was before.
Three consequences follow for an investor.
The use class question should be settled before terms are agreed, ideally through pre-application advice or a Lawful Development Certificate. The scheme will attract highway scrutiny on access, circulation and queuing, which usually means a Transport Statement covering trip generation and internal layout. And the visual impact of canopies and lighting columns becomes a design matter, which is where the Design and Access Statement earns its place.
Substations, cabinets and the works nobody plans for
The chargers are the easy part. Grid capacity is not.
| Element | Usual position |
|---|---|
| Wall-mounted charge point | Permitted development under Class D, subject to limits |
| Upstand charge point | Permitted development under Class E, one per parking space |
| Feeder pillars and small cabinets | Often permitted development, but check size and position |
| Ground-mounted substation | Frequently needs permission, or falls under statutory undertaker rights |
| Battery buffer storage | Assess separately, since it is not a charge point |
A distribution network operator will site a substation where the network requires, which is rarely where the site plan wanted it. Fix the electrical strategy before the planning layout, because moving a substation after permission usually means an amendment application.
Cable routes across third-party land, ducting under a shared access and rights to maintain the equipment are all private law questions the council will not resolve. Deal with them in parallel.
Lead times are the other thing to plan around. A network connection offer can take longer to obtain than a planning permission, and the capacity available at a given point changes as other schemes take it. Apply for the connection at the same time as the planning application rather than after the decision, and design the layout with enough flexibility to absorb a cabinet in a slightly different place.
When permitted development does not reach
Apply where the equipment exceeds the limits, where the property is listed, where an Article 4 direction has removed the rights, or where the proposal is a hub rather than an incidental facility.
A proportionate submission has a site plan showing bay layout, charger positions, circulation and any cabinet or substation, elevations of anything above waist height, a lighting layout where the car park is lit for evening use, and a Planning Statement explaining the need and the design choices. Where the site is in a flood zone, the position of electrical equipment above design flood levels needs stating.
Conditions and highway agreements to expect
Expect conditions on the appearance and colour of equipment, external lighting levels and hours, signage, retention of accessible bays, and reinstatement of the site if the use ceases. On larger schemes, add a management plan covering queuing and payment terminals.
Where the access is altered or widened, a highway agreement under section 278 of the Highways Act 1980 will be needed and it runs on its own timetable, independent of the planning permission. Building regulations are separate again, and Approved Document S sets requirements for charge points in new dwellings and new car parks, which is a different question from whether planning permission is needed.
An illustrative example. A landlord installing six upstand chargers in an existing 40-space car park behind a parade of shops, with a new feeder pillar and a network operator substation at the rear boundary. The chargers are likely to be permitted development, the substation is the item to resolve first, and the practical planning issue is the loss of two bays to the substation compound. Those figures are illustrative only.
Check which reports a car park scheme is likely to need before you fix a layout. PlanScope provides AI-assisted draft reports for planning applications. Reports should be reviewed before submission. We do not guarantee planning approval.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Check the position with your local planning authority or a qualified professional before relying on it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need planning permission for an EV charge point?
Usually not. Part 2 of Schedule 2 to the General Permitted Development Order 2015 permits wall-mounted outlets under Class D and charging upstands under Class E, subject to limits on size, height, position relative to a highway and one upstand per parking space. Permission is needed where those limits are exceeded.
Why does a charger near the road cause a problem?
The permitted development classes restrict equipment that would sit close to and face a highway. A unit on a front boundary wall or a post at the end of a short driveway can fall outside the rights, while the same equipment on a side elevation or at the rear does not. Check the current wording of Part 2.
Can I run a charging cable across the pavement?
Most highway authorities will not accept it, because a cable across a public footway is an obstruction and a trip hazard. Some authorities operate schemes for cable channels or on-street solutions, but that is a highways decision rather than a planning one. Design the layout so the vehicle comes to the charger.
Is a charging hub treated differently?
Yes. A dedicated hub with canopies, lighting, payment terminals and many bays is often treated as sui generis rather than ancillary to the previous use. Settle the use class question through pre-application advice or a Lawful Development Certificate before agreeing terms, and expect highway scrutiny of access, circulation and queuing.
What about the substation and cabinets?
Grid infrastructure is usually the harder planning issue. Feeder pillars are often permitted development, while a ground-mounted substation may need permission or fall under statutory undertaker rights. The network operator will site it where the network requires, so fix the electrical strategy before the planning layout is finalised.
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.