Do I need planning permission for a home EV charger? (England, 2026)

Do I need planning permission for an EV charger on my driveway?

Usually not in England. A wall-mounted charger in an area lawfully used for off-street parking is permitted development if the charger and its casing are no bigger than 0.2 cubic metres and it is not within the curtilage of a listed building or on a scheduled monument. A charger on a post (an "upstand") at a house or block of flats is permitted if it is no more than 1.6 metres high, not at a listed building or scheduled monument, and there is no more than one upstand per parking space. The old rule that kept chargers 2 metres back from a road was removed on 29 May 2025.

Source: GPDO 2015, Schedule 2 Part 2, Class D – electrical outlet for recharging vehicles (legislation.gov.uk); GPDO 2015, Schedule 2 Part 2, Class E – electrical upstand for recharging vehicles (legislation.gov.uk)

What changes on 21 October 2026?

A new amendment order extends the wall-charger and post-charger rights from off-street parking areas to any other area within the curtilage of a house or block of flats. Under that new route you can have only one charger per property and it cannot be in a conservation area. Wall chargers installed under permitted development must also be no more than 1.6 metres above ground. Where the charger is on a wall that directly adjoins the road, it must stick out no more than 0.2 metres and leave at least 1.5 metres of pavement between it and the edge of the road. If there is a pavement between the charger and the car, the cable must cross it through an authorised cross-pavement solution.

Source: The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2026 (SI 2026/1056, in force 21 Oct 2026)

I have no driveway. Can I now install a charger and pavement channel without a planning application?

From 21 October 2026, a cross-pavement solution (a cable channel set into the pavement) installed by, on behalf of, or with the authorisation of the highway authority is itself permitted development, except in conservation areas, at listed buildings or on scheduled monuments. Planning permission is only one of the consents, though. You still need the highway authority’s permission to put a cable across the pavement (section 178 of the Highways Act 1980) and street works permission, and the council can still say no.

Source: The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2026 (SI 2026/1056, in force 21 Oct 2026); GOV.UK – Changes to various permitted development rights for EV charging: government response

When will I still need to apply for planning permission?

If the charger is within the curtilage of a listed building or on a scheduled monument, it is not permitted development under either route, so ask your council’s planning team before you book. The new "other area" route and the cross-pavement right do not apply in conservation areas. Councils can also remove permitted development rights with an Article 4 direction, or may have removed them in the original planning permission for your home, so check with your local planning authority if you are unsure.

Source: GPDO 2015, Schedule 2 Part 2, Class D – electrical outlet for recharging vehicles (legislation.gov.uk); GPDO 2015, Schedule 2 Part 2, Class E – electrical upstand for recharging vehicles (legislation.gov.uk); The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2026 (SI 2026/1056, in force 21 Oct 2026); GOV.UK – Permitted development rights for householders: technical guidance

I was planning a charger under the old rules. Is it still allowed?

Yes, for a while. If an installation was permitted development under the rules in force immediately before 21 October 2026 but is not under the new rules, it can still be carried out until the end of 20 October 2027.

Source: The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2026 (SI 2026/1056, in force 21 Oct 2026)

Do I need Building Regulations approval as well?

Planning and Building Regulations are separate. Under Part P, electrical work that involves installing a new circuit or replacing a consumer unit is notifiable. An electrician registered with a competent person scheme can self-certify the work, tell your council for you, and give you a compliance certificate within 8 weeks; otherwise the work must be checked by building control or a registered third-party certifier. Ask your installer which route they use.

Source: GOV.UK – Electrical safety: Approved Document P; GOV.UK – Building regulations approval: use a competent person scheme

Does this apply in the East Midlands, Wales and Scotland?

These permitted development rules come from the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, so they apply in England, including Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Staffordshire and the rest of the East Midlands. Wales and Scotland set their own planning rules, so check with your council there.

Source: GPDO 2015, Schedule 2 Part 2, Class D – electrical outlet for recharging vehicles (legislation.gov.uk)

I rent or live in a flat. Is planning the only permission I need?

No. Permitted development only deals with planning. You still need permission from your landlord or the freeholder, and if you are claiming the renters and flat owners chargepoint grant you must have proof of all legal rights and permissions for the parking space.

Source: GOV.UK – Chargepoint grant for renters or flat owners: eligibility

Next steps in the East Midlands

If you have a driveway, compare OZEV-authorised installers in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire or Staffordshire. No driveway? Read home charging with no driveway and charging on a terraced street, then ask your county or city council (the highway authority) about cross-pavement channels. Check what you can claim in our grants guide and how to apply. Installer based in the East Midlands? Add or claim your free listing.