The rules should make life a little easier for some car owners
The rule is meant to make life just a little bit easier(Image: Getty Images)
A new rule has been implemented to simplify owning an electric vehicle (EV). In May, the Government announced that it would cut down bureaucratic barriers for both drivers and businesses in England with immediate effect.
As a result, planning permission is no longer required to install an EV charging point. This announcement from the Department for Transport applies to private residential driveways, workplaces, and public streets, which should benefit those who do not have a driveway and only have on-street parking.
Previously, obtaining planning permission from local councils for public installations could take up to nine months. As PlymouthLive reported, improving public charging infrastructure is considered crucial to encouraging more drivers, especially those without off-road parking, to switch to electric vehicles.
A report published by the National Audit Office in December indicated that the rollout of public EV chargers is “on track” to meet the Department for Transport’s estimate of a minimum of 300,000 charging points needed by 2030. The Government has also pledged to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030 as a further incentive to reduce emissions.
Announcing the change, future of roads minister Lilian Greenwood said: “We’re cutting down on paperwork to power up the EV revolution so that drivers, businesses and those looking to make the switch will have more chargepoints to power from and less red tape to deal with.
“We continue to make the switch to EVs easier, cheaper and better by investing over £2.3 billion to support drivers and back British carmakers through international trade deals, creating jobs, boosting investment and securing our future.”
Lewis Gardiner, operations director at Osprey Charging Network, described the announcement as “a hugely welcome and practical change that will make a real difference on the ground”.
He added: “Removing the need for planning permission for essential electrical infrastructure like substations across the majority of sites will save months of delays, reduce costs and accelerate the delivery of the rapid charging hubs drivers need.”
AA head of roads policy Jack Cousens said the Government must do “all it can” to increase the number of EV chargers, and easing planning regulations “will help accelerate installations”.
He added, “The crucial element is ensuring grid connection in a timely manner. This is especially important in rural locations and areas where there is no dedicated off-street parking.”
RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis welcomed the announcement because encouraging more drivers to make their next car an EV depends on “removing the obstacles some people face”. But he warned that the “relatively high cost of public charging … still needs to be tackled”.
Delvin Lane, chief executive of charger company InstaVolt, said: “Anything that helps remove barriers to EV adoption and gives all drivers confidence in the infrastructure – helping remove range anxiety – is a strong move in the right direction.”