New UK Rules from 21 October: EV Charging Without a Driveway

From 21 October 2026, homes in England without a driveway can fit a wall-mounted charger, a charger upstand and an under-pavement cable channel under permitted development, with no planning application. The rights cover houses and blocks of flats, but exclude conservation areas, and the pavement channel also excludes scheduled monuments and the curtilage of listed buildings. The channel must still be installed by or with the authorisation of your highway authority, so you cannot dig up the pavement yourself.

See our full guide to the EV charger grant for renters, flat owners and on-street parking.

What are the new UK rules for EV charging without a driveway?

The problem it fixes. Existing permitted development rights for EV chargers covered only land lawfully used for off-street parking, which left households without a driveway outside their scope (see our guide to planning permission for a home EV charger). According to Transport & Energy, roughly 40% of UK households lack off-street parking.

Three permissions down to two. The Department for Transport's consultation document says a cross-pavement installation previously needed three separate permissions: highway-authority permission to lay a cable across the pavement under section 178 of the Highways Act 1980, planning permission for the solution and the chargepoint, and street works permissions. The planning permission is now granted nationally through permitted development, so only the highways and street-works consents remain.

What do the new under-pavement EV charger planning rules allow?

The legislation is the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2026 (SI 2026/1056). It was made on 25 September 2026, laid before Parliament on 30 September and came into force on 21 October 2026; it amends the England GPDO, so it applies in England only. It changes three classes:

• Wall-mounted outlet (Class D): now allowed anywhere in the curtilage of a house or block of flats, not just a parking area. One outlet per curtilage, no higher than 1.6 metres above ground. If the wall immediately adjoins the highway, it can protrude no more than 0.2 metres and must leave at least 1.5 metres of footway to the carriageway edge. The existing 0.2 cubic metre cap on the outlet and casing is retained.
• Upstand (Class E): a charger post in any other part of the curtilage, limited to 1.6 metres in height.
• Pavement channel (Class F): a cable channel set into the footway, installed by, on behalf of, or with the authorisation of a highway authority. When it is no longer needed it must be removed and the pavement reinstated as soon as reasonably practicable.

Where a footway lies between the charger and your car, the charging cable must cross it through an authorised cross-pavement solution. A loose cable or surface cable cover does not meet that condition. Anyone already using the old Class D or E rights who no longer qualifies can keep building under them until the end of 20 October 2027.

Are conservation areas excluded from the new EV charging planning laws?

Yes. Under the order, the new wall-outlet and upstand rights for areas outside lawful off-street parking do not apply in a conservation area, and neither does the pavement channel (Class F). Class F also excludes scheduled monuments and the curtilage of a listed building. If your home is in one of these, you would still need to apply for planning permission (and listed building consent where relevant) as before. Check with your local authority whether your street is in a conservation area before you book an installer.

What the new rules do not change for cable-gully and pavement-channel installs

It is not a licence to dig up the pavement. Permitted development does not replace highway permissions, as Planning Geek reports on the DfT consultation response. Highway-authority approval (section 178 of the Highways Act 1980) and street-works licences (section 50 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991) can still be needed, and the local authority keeps oversight of anything touching the public highway. Many councils already run cross-pavement trials, so ask yours what process applies and who will maintain the channel.

What does this mean if you own a home with no driveway?

1. Check your property type. Conservation areas are excluded, as are listed-building curtilages for the pavement channel.
2. Ask your council about the cross-pavement solution. Highway-authority consent is the real gatekeeper for a pavement channel.
3. Choose a smart charger. A smart charger lets you schedule charging onto cheap overnight tariffs; see our best home EV chargers and the home requirements checklist.
4. Use a qualified installer. Installation still needs competent electrical work, covered in our installation guide.

Where solar fits in

Charging at home matters because the grid electricity price cap is currently 26.32p per kWh, according to UKEM, and public charging typically costs more. If you have a roof, solar generation can offset part of that cost; our guide to sizing solar panels for EV charging explains how much, and the Electric Car Grant explainer covers the upfront saving on a new car. Solar on the roof of a terraced house can still power a kerbside car, but only if the charger can be installed legally, which is the gap this order closes.