The Government has vowed to make EV charge points easier, cheaper and faster to install under major new legislation.

Replacing street works licences with permits will accelerate the installation of new chargers on public roads and streets. Image credit: Vauxhall

Its newly unveiled Planning and Infrastructure Bill will be formally introduced to Parliament this week, laying the groundwork for a new approach to prioritise grid connections for the most important projects for clean power.

New measures will speed up the approval process for nationally significant infrastructure projects by making consultation less burdensome, strengthening guidance to expert bodies and local authorities about their role in the process, and updating National Policy Statements at least every five years to reflect government priorities for infrastructure delivery.

Decisions for onshore and offshore wind, solar power, electricity grids, hydrogen, carbon capture and nuclear power stations will be fast-tracked to accelerate growth, delivering more clean energy.

The “planning revolution”, announced by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, will also accelerate EV charge point rollouts by replacing street works licences with permits, expediting the installation of new chargers on public roads and streets.

Speaking to The Independent, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the new legislation was a vital step to advance the rollout of charging in England.

“By streamlining the approvals process and reducing costs and time, this legislation will make it easier to install chargers, helping to ensure that every driver – whether in cities or rural areas – can charge up quickly and conveniently,” she said.

Vicky Edmonds, CEO of EVA England, welcomed the government action to tackle barriers to installing electric vehicle charge points.

“Making it easier, cheaper and faster to install public chargers is essential to accelerate the EV transition. High public charging costs remain a major barrier, with three in four drivers from our recent survey identifying this as the biggest challenge, so we welcome efforts to cut costs and speed up grid connections. We also urge the Government to use this Bill as an opportunity to expand cross-pavement charging solutions, allowing those without off-street parking to charge at home and benefit from cheaper electricity rates.”

John Cassidy, managing director of sales at Close Brothers Motor Finance, said the new measures were a step in the right direction to encourage a shift towards EVs, which is key to meeting the Government’s own net zero ambitions.

“According to research from Close Brothers Motor Finance, more than a quarter (28%) of EV drivers find the lack of charging infrastructure makes EV ownership challenging. Removing these barriers will play an important role in supporting the transition away from petrol and diesel vehicles.”

But he also warned that a lack of incentives for motorists still acts as a major hurdle to EV adoption and said the Government needs to consider wider measures to “avoid shooting itself in the foot”. This includes rethinking the removal of EV exemptions from vehicle excise duty and the Expensive Car Supplement from April.

The number of public charge points across the UK hit a new milestone in February, surpassing the 75,000 device landmark, while charge point installations hit a new record growth rate in 2024 with a 38% year-on-year rise.

The National Audit Office reported in December that the number of public charge points was on track to meet the government target of 300,000 by 2030 but warned that major challenges remain on issues such as regional disparities.

The UK’s independent public spending watchdog also said the charge point rollout was being hindered because it is slower and more expensive than it needs to be for charge point operators to get planning permissions and electricity grid connections.

On-street chargers are a vital piece of the jigsaw in the EV transition, enabling drivers without off-street parking to charge near their home. Research published by Vauxhall last week showed that kerbside charging is particularly vital for van electrification. More than nine in 10 (91%) UK business fleet operators surveyed said drivers would be reliant on residential charging if they switch to a fully electric fleet.

The work to accelerate EV charging rollout is one of a series of targeted reforms to accelerate growth and speed up the Government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan that are being brought forward in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Other new measures in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill include the much-publicised ‘pounds for pylons’ scheme where Brits living within up to 500 metres of new pylons will get electricity bill discounts of up to £2,500 over 10 years to “ensure those hosting critical grid infrastructure benefit from supporting the Government’s mission to clean power by the end of this decade”.