England drops planning applications for qualifying pavement EV chargers

A pavement channel can connect a parked car to home electricity

The change addresses a practical obstacle for people who park on the street: their home electricity supply is on the other side of a public footway. A channel set into the pavement provides a route for the charging cable between the property and the parked car.

DfT's existing guidance describes these channels, sometimes called gullies, as systems that hold a cable temporarily while charging. The driver removes the cable afterwards. The new planning order specifically defines its cross-pavement solution as a pavement-embedded cable channel, so the announcement should not be treated as approval for every product marketed for charging across a pavement.

The benefit is access to domestic electricity rather than having to rely entirely on public charging. Whether that makes financial sense for a particular household depends on its electricity tariff, installation costs and ability to park within reach of the channel.

Highways authorisation remains part of getting a channel installed

The order permits a channel installed by a highway authority, on its behalf or with its authorisation. Removing a planning application therefore removes one part of the process, not the authority's control over equipment installed in the pavement. Residents should contact the council before commissioning work.

DfT's guidance explains that the local authority considers whether a location is suitable. Pavement width, nearby junctions, parking restrictions, buried services and tree roots can all affect that assessment. A property facing a road is not, by itself, proof that a safe and usable installation can be provided.

Street works arrangements also remain relevant. The guidance distinguishes work carried out under a local authority's permit from installations needing a licence under section 50 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. Ask which permissions and contractor arrangements apply locally instead of assuming a private installer can begin digging once the planning requirement disappears.

Conservation areas and listed buildings have limits on the new right

The new channel right does not cover development in a conservation area, within the grounds of a listed building or within a scheduled monument site. Those exclusions mean the national announcement is not a blanket exemption for every address. The planning authority can explain the route for a proposal outside the right.

Associated domestic charging equipment has conditions too. For a wall-mounted outlet on a house or block of flats immediately adjoining the highway, the order limits its projection to 0.2 metres and requires at least 1.5 metres of footway between its outermost point and the carriageway. The amended wall-mounted outlet rules also set a maximum installation height of 1.6 metres above ground level.

These are planning limits, not a complete installation specification. Where a footway separates the charger and vehicle, the cable must use an authorised cross-pavement solution. The order's definition of an electrical outlet means a dedicated vehicle chargepoint; it excludes charging by an ordinary domestic plug and socket.

The £300 saving does not pay for the whole charging installation

DfT describes a saving of up to £300 from removing the planning step. It is not a published nationwide installation price or a promise that every household receives that amount. Hardware, labour and the domestic chargepoint still need to be budgeted for.

The existing council guidance lists possible licence costs, maintenance charges and public liability insurance alongside installation costs. Depending on the arrangement, a council or supplier may own the channel and charge an initial payment or subscription. Ask for the full terms, including who repairs the pavement and who pays if the equipment has to be removed.

The new channel right includes removal and reinstatement conditions when the channel is no longer needed. This makes the end of the arrangement relevant when comparing quotes, as well as the initial fitting price. A homeowner moving away should establish how responsibility passes to the next resident.

Installing a channel does not reserve the space outside your house

DfT's guidance says a channel does not give its user ownership or priority over the adjacent parking space. Existing parking restrictions and permit arrangements still matter. A driver may have a working charger at home but be unable to use it when another vehicle is legitimately parked outside.

Before committing to installation, consider how reliably you can park beside the proposed channel. The guidance recommends written agreements covering safe use, upkeep, liability and what happens when residents move. It also says residents should not put out cones or signs implying that the space is reserved for their charging.

Tenant charging proposals are separate from the planning change

The government also launched consultations on 21 October about access for tenants and leaseholders and charging infrastructure in building regulations. Those proposals are not equivalent to the permitted development rights taking effect on the same date.

The announcement describes possible requirements on landlords and freeholders and possible charging provision in new and refurbished covered car parks. It invites responses by 16 December 2026. Tenants should not read the announcement as an existing right to compel a landlord to approve an installation; property permissions remain a separate question.