Do I need planning permission for an EV charger?

Glossary · EV charging

How planning permission for an EV charger works

Planning permission is the council’s consent for building work. Permitted development rights let some work go ahead without applying, as long as it stays inside set limits. In England, the General Permitted Development Order 2015 covers EV chargers at homes in two parts of its schedule.

In May 2025 the Department for Transport confirmed that more drivers and businesses would no longer need to submit a planning application to install public or private EV sockets.^{[3]Department for Transport, Less paperwork, more chargepoints: government cuts red tape to make it easier, quicker and cheaper to switch to EVs} The home rules were amended again from 21 October 2026, and the text below is the version on legislation.gov.uk on the date shown at the top of this page.^{[1]legislation.gov.uk, The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2 Part 2 Class D: electrical outlet for recharging vehicles[2]legislation.gov.uk, The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2 Part 2 Class E: electrical upstand etc for recharging vehicles}

The rules for a home charger

Class D covers an electrical outlet mounted on a wall for recharging electric vehicles. It applies within an area lawfully used for off-street parking, or in any other area within the curtilage of a house or block of flats.^{[1]legislation.gov.uk, The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2 Part 2 Class D: electrical outlet for recharging vehicles} Class E covers an upstand with an outlet mounted on it, in the same places.^{[2]legislation.gov.uk, The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2 Part 2 Class E: electrical upstand etc for recharging vehicles}

Class D is not permitted if the outlet and its casing would exceed 0.2 cubic metres, be installed more than 1.6 metres above ground level, be within a scheduled monument or be within the curtilage of a listed building.^{[1]legislation.gov.uk, The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2 Part 2 Class D: electrical outlet for recharging vehicles} If the outlet is on a wall that immediately adjoins a highway, it must not protrude more than 0.2 metres from the wall, and there must be at least 1.5 metres of footway width between the outlet and the edge of the carriageway.^{[1]legislation.gov.uk, The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2 Part 2 Class D: electrical outlet for recharging vehicles}

Conditions that come with the right

Two conditions apply. When the charger is no longer needed, it must be removed as soon as reasonably practicable and the wall reinstated.^{[1]legislation.gov.uk, The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2 Part 2 Class D: electrical outlet for recharging vehicles} Where a footway lies between the outlet and the vehicle, the cable must cross it by an authorised cross-pavement solution, meaning a pavement-embedded cable channel installed by or with the authority of the highway authority.^{[1]legislation.gov.uk, The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2 Part 2 Class D: electrical outlet for recharging vehicles}

These rules are for England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own planning regimes.

Planning is separate from the electrical side. The work is also notifiable to the network operator, which is covered under DNO notification, and an installer will give you a building regulations compliance certificate. Our EV charger installation page explains how we handle each step.

Example

Neil lives in a semi-detached house in Roundhay with a driveway and wants a wall-mounted charger at 1.2 metres on the side wall. The house is not listed and is not in a conservation area. He is installing one outlet only, it is under 1.6 metres and it does not touch the pavement, so it falls within Class D and no planning application is needed. If his house were listed, the same charger would need a planning application.

What people get wrong

The common mistake is to assume that “permitted development” means no checks at all. The rules still carry limits on height, size, number and location, and a listed building or conservation area can switch the answer from yes to no.

A second mistake is to rely on an old rule of thumb. The Class D and Class E rules were amended in October 2026, so a council page or installer leaflet written before then may be out of date.^{[1]legislation.gov.uk, The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2 Part 2 Class D: electrical outlet for recharging vehicles} If you are unsure, ask your local planning authority before the installation, not after.

The bottom line

For most houses and blocks of flats in England, a home EV charger does not need a planning application, provided it stays within the Class D or Class E limits. Height, number, listed status and conservation areas decide the exceptions. A cable across the pavement needs an authorised cross-pavement solution. Check with the council if your property is listed or in a conservation area.