EV drivers in conservation areas miss out on relaxed charger installation rules
According to AA president Edmund King, Hertfordshire County Council charges a £200 non-refundable assessment fee, while installation of a pavement channel normally costs £1200 after the subsidy. Those living in conservation areas also have to pay for planning permission for the charger.
Michael Goulden, founder and CEO of cross-pavement charging company Kerbo Charge, warned that the residual planning requirements for residents in conservation areas could put motorists off buying an electric car.
“There are already deterrents when people think about going electric,” he said. “People are leaving behind something they know and understand for something new.”
Getting planning permission “could take up to three months”, Goulden said, although he added that “it can be a little quicker”.
Goulden also wants to make planning applications less complicated. “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.
Instead, he suggested residents could submit a marked up photograph showing where the charger and pavement channel would be installed.
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.
AA President Edmund King said, “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. With discreet chargers and properly installed pavement channels, councils and government should be able to develop a simpler, proportionate approach.”
He added, “Home charging is one of the big advantages of running an EV, so we shouldn’t create a two-tier system where having a driveway – or simply living on the wrong historic street – determines whether you can easily access it.”
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