Last November, the government announced the mandatory installation of electric vehicle (EV) charge points for new buildings in England. With four months to go until these regulations come into force, developers and other stakeholders need to ensure they are up to speed on the requirements.
The new regulations will apply from 15 June 2022, but not where building/initial notices or full plans were submitted to a local authority before this date if work is scheduled to begin before 15 June 2023.
The regulations will apply to: new residential and non-residential buildings with more than 10 parking spaces; existing buildings with more than 10 parking spaces undergoing major renovation; and new homes created from a change of use.
‘Major renovation’ refers to projects involving renovation to more than 25% of the building’s surface area. The EV charge point requirements will only be triggered, however, if this involves work to the car park or electrical infrastructure of the car park or building.
The government is taking a precautionary approach regarding covered car-parking spaces (excluding residential garages or car ports) while it conducts further research into the risks posed from EV fires in covered car parks.
Until the government establishes appropriate fire safety guidelines, the requirements of the regulations should first be met with non-covered spaces, only applying to covered spaces when impossible to meet regulation with the outdoor spaces. In these instances, cable routes will be required in some or all of the covered spaces.
Residential developers will be glad to know there is a cost cap; where the installation of EV charge points would increase grid connection costs by more than £3,600 per point, it will only be necessary to install enough points to equal an average connection cost of £3,600 per point. However, this cost cap only applies to new residential buildings.
The new regulations are difficult to navigate, and developers should seek professional advice at an early stage of their project so they do not fall foul of the regulations.
Maria Connolly is head of real estate and clean energy at TLT
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