The Government has cut red tape on workplace, public and private EV charge point installations, making it quicker and cheaper for fleets and drivers to go electric.

The “less paperwork, more charge points” plans, effective from today (Thursday 29 May), mean more drivers and businesses will no longer need to submit a planning application to install public or private EV sockets.

The move was announced by Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood who said the Government was powering up the EV revolution “so that drivers, businesses and those looking to make the switch will have more charge points to power from, and less red tape to deal with”.

Osprey Charging Network said it was a “hugely welcome and practical change that will make a real difference on the ground”.

Lewis Gardiner, operations director, said: “Removing the need for planning permission for essential electrical infrastructure such as substations across the majority of sites will save months of delays, reduce costs and accelerate the delivery of the rapid charging hubs drivers need.

“It’s the result of months of collaboration between industry and government, and we’re proud to have played a key role in making it happen.”

And John Lewis, CEO at Char.gy, said: “This is a clear signal of policy certainty in the UK’s EV sector, exactly what investors and charge point operators need to unlock the scale of investment required to build a world-class public charging network.”

Delvin Lane, CEO of InstaVolt, also welcomed the move: “We are supportive of the Government acting proactively and moving in a positive direction. Anything that helps remove barriers to EV adoption and gives all drivers confidence in the infrastructure – helping remove range anxiety – is a strong move in the right direction. We look forward to continued support from the Government as the UK transitions to EVs.”

The AA said removing planning rules was a positive step that would help accelerate installations, progressing the UK target of 300,000 publicly available chargers by 2030.

But Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: “The crucial element is ensuring grid connection in a timely manner. This is especially important in rural locations and areas where there is no dedicated off-street parking.”

And Vicky Edmonds, CEO of EVA England, said: “To ensure EVs can work for everyone, further action is needed. Drivers without driveways still face significant barriers to affordable, convenient charging. We urge the Government to increase its support of the rollout of cross-pavement charging and extend legal rights to tenants and leaseholders, so all drivers can access and benefit from cheaper and more convenient charging.”

The move follows the Government’s recent announcement that it will accelerate EV charge point rollouts under the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill, replacing street works licences with permits and expediting the installation of new chargers on public roads and streets.

Nearly 80,000 public charge points are already available in the UK, according to Zapmap figures – with one installed every 29 minutes and a record of nearly 3,000 public charging devices added in April alone.

The Department for Transport also published its latest electric vehicle charging device grant scheme statistics this morning. The quarterly report reveals that the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant (EVCG) funded 10,514 sockets in the 12 months ending at 1 April 2025,  and has funded the installation of 20,654 sockets since the scheme was launched in April 2022, with total EVCG funding, including non-socket charging infrastructure, standing at £15.1m.

The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) funded 6,253 sockets in workplace carparks (excluding schools) in the 12 months ending 1 April 2025 and has funded the installation of 60,918 sockets, with a total grant value of £22.3m, in workplace carparks (again excluding schools) since the scheme started in 2016. It’s also funded 1,918 sockets in schools, with a grant value of £4.3m, since the schools scheme started in 2024.

The On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) completed projects for 4,455 on-street charging devices in the 12 months ending 1 April 2025. Completed ORCS projects represent 12,809 public charging devices installed, with a grant value of £44m.