Developers start to plan for new requirements for electric vehicle charging points in development

Developers must plan ahead in response to the UK Government’s proposals for electric vehicle charging points to be included in new developments and renovations.

This year developers will be expected to comply with new laws requiring them to include a number of charging points for electric vehicles (EV) in both residential and non-residential developments. The proposals, announced by the Prime Minister in November 2021, are in response to a 2019 consultation and follow on from the UK Government’s planned shift from petrol and diesel cars which will culminate in a ban on sale of the former from 2030.

Under the new laws:

• If a new home has on-site parking it must have a charging point.
• If there is a major renovation of a residential building and the building will have more than ten on-site parking spaces afterwards, it must have a minimum of one charging point for each dwelling which has associated parking and cable routes for all other spaces.
• If a new non-residential building has more than ten on-site parking spaces, it must have a minimum of one charging point, and cable routes for one in every five spaces.
• If there is a major renovation of a non-residential building and, afterwards, the building will have more than ten on-site parking spaces, it must have a minimum of one charging point, and cable routes for one in every five spaces.

The Government has faced questions pertaining to the detail behind these requirements. There is for example, no guidance at present as to the standard of these charging points in terms of charging time. It remains to be seen as to whether the developer’s bound by these new rules will absorb the cost of the EV charging point or whether this cost will be passed onto prospective purchasers. In a buoyant property market, one may assume the latter but if and when the supply of homes increases, or demand reduces, then the inclusion of an EV charging point may become a desirable selling feature boosting the sale of new properties as opposed to the millions of existing properties that go up for sale each year.

Whether or not you believe that the 2030 date is achievable to ban all new petrol and diesel cars, planning rules are changing and developers should start to plan for the proposed new laws. When the ban is implemented, the existence of an electric charging point will be attractive to electric car owners but prospective purchasers ought to research the type of charging point and the associated cabling to ensure that it is adequate for their car charging needs. Furthermore, the number of charging points available on a multi-unit sites such as a block of flats should be considered in terms of practicality and availability.

The announcement is undoubtedly a step in the right direction towards a greener future but a lot of information remains to be considered by both developers and prospective purchasers alike.

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