Overview
- The Department for Transport has removed the need for planning permission for many EV charger installations across England, covering private driveways, workplaces and public streets.
- The government raised the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant from £150 to £500 to help households and businesses without off‑street parking cover part of home charger installation costs.
- Officials say the changes cut months of council red tape that previously delayed installs, with planning approvals sometimes taking up to nine months and slowing network expansion.
- Charging operators and motoring groups welcomed the reforms but warned that grid connection delays, especially in rural areas, and the high cost of public charging still limit faster rollout.
- The measures form part of wider UK EV goals, including a 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel car sales and a National Audit Office finding that public charger deployment is on track for at least 300,000 by 2030.