Building Regulations update - Electric Vehicle Charging Points

New legislation taking effect from 15 June 2022 requires all new homes, construction projects, workplace, and retail buildings to install electric vehicle (EV) charging points.

Currently, the UK lacks the electric charging infrastructure which is needed to reach its net zero emissions target by 2050. According to the Department for Transport, there are approximately 26,000 EV charging points available across the UK for public use. Under the new legislation, the Government is aiming for 145,000 new EV charging points to be installed.

The Government is updating building regulations which will result in EV charging points being required by law in both new residential and new non-residential buildings and developments, as well as existing buildings and developments which are undergoing major renovation.

Every new home, including those created by a change of use, with associated parking within the site boundary (e.g. on a driveway) will be required to have an EV charging point installed. The rules are slightly different for apartments and properties with communal parking facilities. New residential properties with more than ten parking spaces within the site boundary (i.e. blocks of flats) need to have at least one EV charging point per dwelling. If there is provision for each dwelling to have use of more than one car parking space, for each space where an EV charging point is not installed (i.e. a property’s second car parking space), cable routes which an EV charging point can be connected into are to be installed and available for residents to use should an additional EV charging point be wanted.

New non-residential buildings with more than ten car parking spaces within the site boundary are to have a minimum of one EV charging point and cable routes are to be installed for at least one in five of the total number of car parking spaces. For example, if a new non-residential building has twenty car parking spaces, then one EV charging point and four cable routes are to be installed.

The rules above will also apply to existing residential and non-residential buildings which are undergoing major renovation. Major renovation is the renovation of a building where more than 25% of the surface area of the building envelope undergoes renovation. In addition, for the new legislation to apply, the renovation work must include work being done to a car park, the electrical infrastructure of the car park or the electrical infrastructure of the building (where the car park is located inside the building).

In mixed use developments, the EV charging point requirements for residential and non-residential buildings need to be applied separately depending on how many car parking spaces are available for residents and how many car parking spaces are available for the non-residential use of the building (i.e. offices and retail spaces).

All EV charging points installed under the new legislation will have to meet certain technical requirements, such as British Standards and a minimum output.

There are some exemptions to the new building regulations, where circumstances mean that the installation of an EV charging point will not be required. These include if the building is listed or in a conservation area, and if the existing power supply at the building is unable to accommodate the number of EV charging points required by the legislation.

If you have any questions regarding the new regulations and how these might affect you, please contact a member of our Commercial Property team who will be happy to discuss them further with you.