Calling all road to zero heroes

Are you a commercial enterprise seeking to install an Electric Vehicle Charging forecourt? Or perhaps you have a planning condition that needs discharging relating to an Electric Vehicle (EV) Charge point?

Preparing our towns, cities, rural villages and key transport corridors for a sustainable future of electric vehicles is key to the success of sustainable travel. This strategy is supported by the Government’s ‘Road to Zero’ (2018) Paper and the ‘10 Point Plan’ (2020), which seeks to ban the sales of petrol, diesel and most hybrid cars by 2030 and support an enhanced charging infrastructure to underpin that transition.

Local Planning Authorities are increasingly incorporating electric vehicle charge points into their new Local Plans or seeking to add them by way of condition to planning decisions relating to developments such as new build dwellings and car parks.

Although the government expects that the majority of EV charging to take place on a domestic basis, this is not practical for many residential areas (which accounts for over 8 million households in the UK), where housing does not benefit from individual driveways and garages. Equally, people on longer journeys are limited on their range of travel depending on the battery life and charge of their vehicle and so need easy access to rapid charging stations to ‘top up’.

Whilst planning permission is not normally required for the installation of a wall-mounted EV charging point in areas lawfully used for off street parking, there are some exceptions; typically, these relate to the size of the charger (no more than 0.2 cubic metres) and proximity to a highway (not within 2 metres). Listed Buildings and Sites of Scheduled monuments are other notable exceptions. Further information can be found on the  Planning Portal.

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

If your plans are to construct an EV Charging Station, perhaps with associated facilities; washrooms, shops, post offices to occupy the customers whilst they wait for their vehicle to be charged, then talk to us. Clearly location will be key, but there are other aspects such as (but not limited to) highways, transport assessments, flood risk, character assessment, power supply etc. that may need consideration. We can also help you pull together an application to discharge conditions relating to Electric Vehicle points on a domestic or public basis. We have experience in these matters and can guide you through the requirements.

A report conducted by the Competition and Markets Authority on Electric Vehicle Charging Market Study in July 2021 concluded that the distribution of public charge points is ‘uneven and patchy’ stating at that time that there are approximately 500 charge points at motorway stations, with an estimated 2,300 needed.  The report also highlights that the UK requires ten times more charge points than are currently available. Over the next few years there needs to be an increase in the provision of these charging stations in order to meet the Government’s objectives. Now is the time to get those planning applications in!

Our research has shown that many applications have gone to Planning Committee, appeal and even public inquiry as often the sites are increasingly being required in more remote locations where, ordinarily, development is not acceptable. Plainview Planning are well placed and experienced to support your application through these possible eventualities. 

Contact Us

Contact our team via enquiries@plainview.co.uk, to see how we can best assist you, providing the site address and a brief overview of your project. We value your privacy and any information which you provide will not be shared outside of our company and will only be used in relation to your enquiry.

Content correct at the time of publication. For the most up-to-date advice or to discuss your project, please contact our team directly.