New rule change has begun and it affects every driveway in England

A fresh regulation designed to simplify electric vehicle (EV) ownership has come into force. In May, the Government revealed it was slashing bureaucracy for both motorists and enterprises across England with immediate implementation.

This means planning consent is no longer required to fit an EV charging point. The declaration from the Department for Transport covers private residential driveways, workplaces and public highways, potentially benefiting those without driveways as well.

Previously, there had been accounts of it taking up to nine months to secure planning approval from councils for public installations. Enhancing public charging infrastructure is regarded as crucial to convince more motorists – particularly those lacking off-street parking – to transition to electric motoring.

A study released by public spending watchdog the National Audit Office in December discovered the deployment of public EV chargers was "on track" to achieve the 300,000 the DfT estimates will be the minimum required by 2030. The Government has committed to prohibit the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2030.

The future of roads minister, Lilian Greenwood, said the change would be immediate when announcing it in May: "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, welcomed 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."

Jack Cousens, AA head of roads policy, emphasised that the Government must do "all it can" to increase the number of EV chargers, and that 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."

Rod Dennis, the RAC's senior policy officer, welcomed the news, stating that persuading more motorists to switch to electric vehicles (EVs) hinges on "removing the obstacles some people face". However, he cautioned that the "relatively high cost of public charging ... still needs to be tackled".

InstaVolt's chief executive, Delvin Lane, 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."