Planning Permission No Longer Needed for EV Chargers in the UK: What It Means For Homeowners, Businesses and CPOs

6 min read

From home driveways to busy commercial sites, installing EV chargepoints across the UK just became faster, simpler, and significantly more affordable.

A Major Shift for EV Charging in the UK

In a landmark regulatory move, the UK government has removed the requirement for planning permission to install electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints in the UK. Confirmed on 29 May 2025 by the Department for Transport and the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), this update is a game-changer for homeowners, businesses, and EV installers alike.

“We’re cutting down on paperwork to power up the EV revolution,” said Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood. “Drivers, businesses and those looking to make the switch will have more chargepoints to power from and less red tape to deal with.”

What’s Changed?

Until now, homeowners and commercial property managers often faced costly and time-consuming planning applications before installing an EV charger. This red tape slowed down projects, increased installation costs, and deterred many from making the switch.

As of now, that’s no longer the case. Planning permission is no longer required for most EV charger installations across the UK, including:

Private driveways
Off-street parking
Commercial or retail premises
Shared business locations

In short: fewer forms, fewer delays, and far fewer reasons not to install a charger.

Why It Matters

Whether you’re installing your first home charger or managing a large-scale rollout for a business or fleet, this regulation brings immediate benefits:

✔️ No more planning permission required
✔️ Reduced installation costs (up to £1,100 saved on average)
✔️ Faster project timelines, simpler approvals
✔️ Applicable to residential and commercial settings

For EV installers and contractors, the impact is just as significant: fewer project delays, quicker deployments, and a more compelling offer for clients.

The Wallbox Advantage: Built to Install, Designed to Last

At Wallbox, we’ve spent over a decade developing smart, scalable EV charging solutions designed to meet the evolving needs of homes and businesses across the UK. This regulatory update makes it easier than ever to deploy our chargers quickly and confidently.

For Homeowners: Pulsar Max

Compact, powerful, and designed for seamless smart home integration, Pulsar Max offers efficient charging tailored for modern homes. Built with installation in mind, its slim profile and versatile mounting options make it quick for professionals to install, and effortless for homeowners to use.

Available in both tethered and socket versions, Pulsar Max gives homeowners the flexibility to choose the setup that best suits their space, making it one of the few chargers on the market to combine smart performance with real choice at installation.

Paired with Wallbox’s top-rated app and advanced Home Energy Management features, Pulsar Max gives users complete control over their charging, energy usage, and cost savings – all from their smartphone.

For Businesses: Pulsar Pro

Built for deployment across workplaces, fleets, and shared residential spaces, Pulsar Pro delivers scalable charging with enterprise-level reliability and ease. Designed specifically for shared use, it combines always-ready access for EV drivers with effortless control for operators and installers.

Available in both tethered and socket versions, Pulsar Pro adapts to a wide range of UK site requirements – whether you’re managing a corporate car park or a multi-unit residential development. It supports easy user authentication via RFID, NFC, or the Wallbox app, and features encrypted communication to keep personal data secure.

Designed for simplicity, reliability, and shared use, Pulsar Pro makes effortless charging easy to deploy and even easier to manage.

For Public Charging: eM4

Where public access is essential (such as retail car parks, hospitality venues, or municipal spaces) the Wallbox eM4 is the ideal solution. Compliant with the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023, the eM4 is purpose-built for open-access environments that serve the general public.

Key to its compliance is the inclusion of a contactless payment terminal, ensuring full transparency and ease of use for any driver. The integrated payment system supports both real-time pricing visibility and simple tap-to-pay functionality, meeting UK requirements.

Its modular hardware and robust backend integration (OCPP) support dynamic load management and future-ready infrastructure, while minimising installation time and maximising uptime. The eM4 delivers a seamless and reliable charging experience for public installations, without compromise.

Please note: The eM4 is intended exclusively for public charge point use and cannot be installed in private or restricted-access environments such as workplaces, fleets, or residential complexes. For those use cases, Pulsar Max and Pulsar Pro remain the compliant and recommended options.

Designed for Installers, Trusted by Professionals

Wallbox chargers aren’t just smart, they’re engineered for streamlined installation. With flexible configuration, intuitive setup, and smart connectivity, our hardware helps installers get the job done faster and with fewer on-site challenges.

And with a certified Wallbox installer network spanning the UK, every customer benefits from professional support and high-quality workmanship – from driveway installs to complex commercial projects.

Smarter Charging, Made to Scale

Whether you’re charging one vehicle or managing a multi-site rollout, Wallbox solutions grow with your needs. Key features include:

Dynamic load balancing
Solar charging compatibility
Full OCPP backend support

Combined with our future-ready hardware and trusted installer partnerships, you’re set up for long-term success – no planning permission needed.

A Green Light for EV Adoption

This regulation is part of the UK government’s broader Plan for Change strategy, which aims to accelerate EV adoption, support British manufacturing, and unlock a new wave of clean transport innovation. Recent milestones include:

£2.3 billion+ invested in EV infrastructure
80,000+ public chargepoints now live across the UK
18,000 new workplace chargepoints installed in the past year alone
EV running costs as low as 2 pence per mile

With policy momentum behind electrification, there’s never been a better time to go electric, or an easier time to install.

Power Your Next Move With Wallbox

This isn’t just a policy update, it’s a clear signal that the UK is ready to accelerate its EV future.

With Wallbox’s proven reliability, easy-to-install design, and certified installer network, you’re ready to plug into what’s next.

Explore our home and workplace charging solutions

_________________________________________________________________________

All statistics and policy details cited in this post are sourced from the official UK government announcement:
“Less paperwork, more chargepoints: government cuts red tape to make it easier, quicker and cheaper to switch to EVs”
Published by the Department for Transport, Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, and Lilian Greenwood MP on 29 May 2025.
Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/less-paperwork-more-chargepoints-government-cuts-red-tape-to-make-it-easier-quicker-and-cheaper-to-switch-to-evs

Share it on Social