Solar canopies and electric vehicle charging

Introduction 

The following section focuses on electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, planning and the UK's wider energy security and net-zero commitments. As transport remains the largest emitting sector of greenhouse gases, decarbonising road transport through EV adoption is critical, requiring a substantial expansion of EV charging infrastructure.

The Clean Power Action Plan outlines the importance of adopting clean power technologies such as EVs to support the transition away from the use of fossil fuels. From 2030 onwards, further emissions reductions from clean power will come indirectly through displacing fossil fuel use in other sectors, such as transport. As with solar energy, the charging infrastructure for EVs needs to be deployed rapidly and at scale.

The government welcomes input and detailed evidence from stakeholders to better understand any concerns or views that they may have around existing planning policy, guidance and PDRs in relation to the widespread adoption of EV chargepoints, including links to solar canopies and energy storage systems.

 Charging Infrastructure 

Transport remains the largest emitting sector of greenhouse gas emissions, producing 29% of the UK’s total emissions in 2023. Road transport accounts for 89% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions, with cars alone responsible for 54%.

The government has committed to phasing out new cars that rely solely on internal combustion engines (ICE) by 2030. The transition to ZEVs will drive economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower, helping the UK meet its climate change obligations and improve air quality. 

The ZEV Mandate sets annual headline targets for vehicle manufacturers for the registration of zero emission cars and vans starting at 22% and 10% in 2024 and rising to 80% and 70% in 2030.

The government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle.

Charging infrastructure needs to be installed across the country to support the transition to EVs. A mixture of public and private chargepoints is required to support drivers.

Currently, there are over 76,000 publicly available charging devices installed in the UK (as of 1 April 2025) and over 680,000 properties have access to a domestic chargepoint.  

The Planning System and Wider Permitting Requirements 

There are a variety of stipulations that determine whether a chargepoint installation requires the submission of a planning application or needs a particular permit. In very broad terms, home and workplace charging, as well as smaller (tending to be lower powered) installations in areas lawfully used for off-street parking, typically do not require the submission of a planning application as they qualify as permitted development.

As well as this, new residential buildings and non-residential buildings with off-street parking, and those undergoing major renovations are required to install a chargepoint under Part S of Schedule 1 of the Building Regulations 2010.

There are a variety of exceptions that may mean a planning application is required for existing properties, such as height, siting and, for instance, where a chargepoint is located within the curtilage of a listed building. Larger, rapid hubs, including those requiring electrical cabinets, currently tend to require the submission of a planning application.

In some instances, additional permissions and permits are required, in addition to receiving planning permission, before a chargepoint can be installed. This is usually from the landowner or for on-street chargepoints, the local highways or planning authority.  

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out the government’s planning policies for England and how these should be applied and is a material consideration in planning decisions. By law, planning applications are determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Each application is judged on its own individual merit and the weight given to these considerations is a matter for the local planning authority as the decision taker in the first instance.

The NPPF outlines that transport issues should be considered from the earliest stages of plan-making and development proposals, using a vision-led approach to identify transport solutions that deliver well-designed, sustainable and popular places. This should involve, realising opportunities from existing or proposed transport infrastructure, and changing transport technology and usage – for example in relation to the scale, location or density of development that can be accommodated. 

The NPPF sets out when setting local parking standards for residential and non-residential development, policies should take into account the need to ensure adequate provision of spaces for charging plug-in and other ultra-low emission vehicles. 

It also outlines that applications for development should be designed to enable charging of such vehicles in safe, accessible, and convenient locations. 

Permitted development rights (PDRs) allow certain building works and changes of use to be carried out without needing to submit a planning application.

PDRs have been introduced to support several areas of the chargepoint market, provided installations meet certain requirements. Locations include residential and workplace chargepoints, public chargepoints on private land, and chargepoints on public land provided the local authority gives consent.

As previously announced, the government plans to provide additional flexibility through permitted development rights for homeowners and businesses when installing off-street electric vehicle chargepoints. This includes permitting taller upstands, outlets and upstands within 2 metres of the highway, and facilitating the installation of equipment housing to support the operation of bigger and more powerful EV upstands in non-domestic off-street car parks.

This call for evidence looks to gain insight, evidence and views into any further potential planning and permitting changes required to support continued acceleration in relation to chargepoint deployment.