Electric car drivers living in England's conservation areas are not covered by the government's newly relaxed planning process for home chargers, meaning many still face extra cost and delay to install cross-pavement charging equipment. Historic England told Autocar that nearly two million households sit within conservation areas across England, and those boundaries are excluded from the new permitted development rights that make it easier for motorists without driveways to install cross-pavement charging infrastructure.
For residents without off-street parking inside those areas, planning permission may still be needed for both the charger and the pavement channel. Historic England does not hold data on how many conservation-area homes lack driveways, but the national average is around 40%.
Oxfordshire pauses applications while it seeks clarity
Oxfordshire County Council, which Historic England says contains 260 conservation areas, told Autocar it was "temporarily pausing new applications from residents" in these protected locations. The council said it was also holding applications that had been conditionally approved, rather than risk residents incurring unnecessary planning costs, and was working with local planning authorities to clarify the requirements for homes in protected locations. A spokesperson said applications would reopen "when these matters are resolved".
Shayne Rees of Gul-e, which installs cross-pavement charging channels for Oxfordshire County Council, said a few dozen applications had been affected by the council's decision. He said the council was trying to get on "rock solid ground" before advising residents about the new rules, and put the wait at "days and weeks" rather than months. The council has not given a fixed reopening date, so the length of the pause has not been announced.
Hertfordshire keeps assessing cases individually
Hertfordshire County Council, which is running a cross-pavement charging trial with St Albans City and District Council, is taking a different route. It said it would "continue to consider applications for cross-pavement charging channels on a case-by-case basis", including those in conservation areas.
The council said it would add a step to its initial assessment to check whether an applicant lived in one of St Albans' 19 conservation areas. If so, they would be advised to obtain the necessary planning approvals and directed to the relevant local planning authority. Of the three such applications so far, one had been approved and the other two were still being considered.
According to AA president Edmund King, Hertfordshire County Council charges a £200 non-refundable assessment fee, while installing a pavement channel normally costs £1200 after the subsidy. Residents in conservation areas also have to pay for planning permission for the charger itself.
Planning permission can add months and deter buyers
Michael Goulden, founder and CEO of cross-pavement charging company Kerbo Charge, warned that the residual planning requirements could put motorists off buying an electric car. "There are already deterrents when people think about going electric," he said, adding that people are leaving behind something they know for something new. Getting planning permission "could take up to three months", he said, though it "can be a little quicker".
Goulden wants the applications simplified. "What we don't want people to do is have to submit architectural drawings or in extreme cases carry out wildlife impact assessments," he said, suggesting instead that residents submit a marked-up photograph showing where the charger and pavement channel would go.
The extra step matters because home charging is the cheapest and most convenient way most EV owners charge, and the households affected are precisely those without a driveway who depend on cross-pavement channels. Leaving them under the old regime keeps a planning hurdle in place for the drivers the relaxed rules were meant to help.
Historic England weighs guidance changes
Historic England said it was "supportive of initiatives to design installations that are compatible with the historic character of conservation areas" and was considering changes to its guidance. It has not confirmed what those changes will be, so any revision to the rules for conservation areas has not been announced.
King argued for a proportionate middle path. "There obviously needs to be a balance between protecting our historic streets and helping people make the switch to electric, but these two objectives shouldn't be mutually exclusive," he said, adding that with discreet chargers and properly installed pavement channels, councils and government should be able to develop a simpler approach. He warned against creating "a two-tier system where having a driveway, or simply living on the wrong historic street, determines whether you can easily access" home charging.
The government's plan to streamline the charger installation planning process was announced last month and has raised questions about how the new rules will work in conservation areas in Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire, where councils already run cross-pavement charging schemes. Until councils and Historic England settle the detail, drivers in protected streets remain on the slower, costlier route.
