A home EV charger serving lawful off-street parking can often be installed without a planning application, subject to its dimensions, position and site restrictions. That off-street permission should not be treated as permission to install equipment in a public pavement. [1]
Current rules for off-street charging
For a house or block of flats, the principal limits are:
- A wall-mounted electrical outlet, including its casing, must not exceed 0.2m³.
- A freestanding charging upstand must not exceed 1.6m in height.
- There must be no more than one upstand per parking space. [1]
The route has exclusions for listed-building curtilages and scheduled monuments. Check any Article 4 direction or condition removing the relevant permission. Equipment must also be removed and the area reinstated when it is no longer needed. [1]
From 29 May 2025, the former 2m highway setback for these charging installations was removed. That change did not turn the off-street-parking right into a general right to excavate the public footway. [2]
Before selecting the charger, identify the lawful parking space and record the proposed unit's dimensions. A drawing should show where it stands or is fixed, not merely identify a product name. [1]
What about a cable across the pavement?
London Councils' cross-pavement guidance treats pedestrian access and highway-authority approval as central issues. A recessed channel is different from a loose cable or temporary ramp across a walking route, but neither should be assumed acceptable without checking the local arrangements. [3]
Ask whether your borough operates an approved cross-pavement scheme, which types of solution it accepts and how installation will be authorised. Planning status does not settle the highway permission or establish that the street is suitable. Consider the whole route between the charger and parked vehicle, including its effect on people using wheelchairs or pushchairs. [3]
Do not commission excavation simply because a neighbouring borough allows a particular product. Local approval and site suitability need to be established for the pavement outside your own property. [3]
Confirmed change from 21 October 2026
A further permitted-development amendment order was made on 25 September 2026, laid on 30 September 2026, and comes into force on 21 October 2026. Its contents identify amendments to charging-outlet and upstand rights and a new Class F concerning cross-pavement solutions. [4]
For work planned from 21 October 2026, assess the new provisions and the relevant highway authority's requirements before relying on the route. [4][3]
Electrical installation and records
Installing a new circuit is notifiable building work. An installer registered with the appropriate competent person scheme may be able to self-certify; otherwise the necessary building-control notification must be arranged. Confirm which route will be used before installation rather than discovering afterwards that certification was not included. [5]
Keep the electrical certificate and any building-regulations compliance certificate with the equipment information. Where a new parking area or access is also proposed, assess its paving and dropped-kerb permissions separately: installing a charger does not authorise those works. [5] [6]