EV charging requirements for new homes in planning

Every new home in England with an associated parking space has needed an electric vehicle charge point since 15 June 2022, and that requirement comes from building regulations rather than from planning. Part S of the Building Regulations 2010 does the work. So the first thing to check on any ev charging requirement planning condition is whether it is asking for something Part S already delivers, because national guidance discourages conditions that duplicate other regimes.

Plenty of local plan policies pre-date Part S and still sit in adopted plans. Some ask for more than the regulations do, and those are the ones that shape the drawings.

Where the requirement comes from

Two regimes apply at once, and they do different jobs.

Part S, supported by Approved Document S, applies at building control stage. For a new dwelling with an associated parking space, it requires a charge point for that dwelling. For a residential building with more than 10 dwellings, it requires a charge point for each dwelling with an associated space, plus cable routes for every remaining space. Minimum rated output is 7 kW, and the charge point has to be capable of smart operation.

Planning policy applies at application stage and can go further. A local plan may require charge points at a higher ratio, in positions shown on an approved layout, or in circumstances Part S does not cover, such as conversions or changes of use where the regulations bite differently. In London, the London Plan sets its own requirement built around a split between active charge points and passive provision, so check the current policy text and any borough addition.

The practical rule is simple. Where the policy asks for no more than Part S, expect a light-touch condition or none at all. Where it asks for more, the extra provision has to be designed in and shown.

What local policies typically ask for

Policies vary, and the wording is what matters, but a few themes recur across adopted plans.

• A charge point per dwelling with off-street parking, which is now the Part S position anyway.
• A stated proportion of communal spaces with active charge points, with ducting to the remainder.
• Provision for visitor spaces on larger schemes.
• A requirement that the charge point is installed before first occupation rather than at some later date.
• Cycle parking and charge point provision considered together on car-free or low-car schemes.

Where the site is in a conservation area, or the dwelling is listed, the position of an external charge point becomes a design question. On a listed building, fixing a charge point to an elevation can need listed building consent, and the sensible route is a discreet position on a rear or flank wall, or a bollard unit set away from the building.

Neighbourhood plans increasingly carry their own requirements on parking and charging, and they form part of the development plan, as our explainer on when neighbourhood plans outrank the local plan sets out.

Active and passive provision for flats

The distinction is worth being precise about, because officers and applicants use the words loosely.

Active provision means an installed, connected and working charge point. Passive provision means the underground ducting, cable route, containment and electrical capacity to add one later without excavation or a supply upgrade.

On a block of flats with a communal car park, that translates into three pieces of design work. The incoming supply has to be sized for the eventual load, not just the day one load, which usually means a conversation with the distribution network operator early. The ducting has to run to every space, with draw pits at changes of direction. And the position of the intake and any load management equipment has to be fixed on the layout, because retrofitting a substation into a completed courtyard is not realistic.

Load management is the item that makes a scheme deliverable. Static or dynamic load balancing lets a modest supply serve many charge points, and saying so in the supporting statement answers the objection that the site cannot support the numbers required.

Cable routes, supply position and load

For a single self-build plot the same questions arise at a smaller scale.

1. Fix the parking position on the site plan and the charge point position on the elevation or on a bollard.
2. Run the cable route from the consumer unit to that position, avoiding the driveway build-up where possible and using a duct where it cannot.
3. Check the incoming supply rating and the spare capacity in the consumer unit before specifying a 7 kW unit.
4. Confirm the supply arrangement with the network operator where an upgrade is needed, because lead times are long and it sits outside the planning process.
5. Keep the charge point off the highway. A cable crossing a public footway to reach a car parked on the street is a highway obstruction and will not be accepted.

Where there is no off-street parking, the requirement generally falls away, since both the regulations and most policies are tied to an associated parking space. That is a common position on plot developments in older streets, and it is worth saying so explicitly in the application rather than leaving the officer to work it out.

The condition and how it is discharged

A typical condition requires details of the charge point specification and position to be approved before occupation, and the installation to be completed and retained thereafter.

Discharge is straightforward if the material is prepared with the application. Submit the manufacturer's specification sheet showing the rated output and smart functionality, a site plan marking the unit, and a photograph after installation. Councils charge a fee for each discharge request and have eight weeks to determine it, so bundle related conditions into a single application rather than submitting them one at a time.

Two mistakes cost time. Applying to discharge after occupation, when the condition required approval before it, puts you in breach even though the charger is installed. And submitting a product datasheet for a unit that is later substituted for a different model means the approved details no longer match what is on the wall.

What to show on the site plan

Officers approve what is drawn. Six things belong on the layout.

The parking space, dimensioned, with the vehicle position shown. The charge point, marked with a symbol and a note giving the rated output. The cable route from the supply position, dashed. The consumer unit or intake position. Any ducting laid for future provision, with draw pits. And a note stating which policy or regulation the provision responds to.

For larger schemes, add a schedule listing each plot, its parking provision, whether the charge point is active or passive, and the total connected load. That single table answers most of the questions a transport officer will raise, and it becomes the evidence for discharging the condition later.

To see which other supporting documents a scheme is likely to need, browse the index of report types by category, and a Travel Plan is worth considering on any scheme where the charging strategy forms part of a wider low-car case. 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.