21 October 2025
In March this year, the Government introduced the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, a key part of its Plan for Change to accelerate house building and modernise the national infrastructure.
At EVA England, we saw this as an opportunity to tackle some of the barriers drivers have told us they are facing in the EV charging space. EV charging is often shaped by local planning rules: installation of chargepoints in car parks and on street, installation of cross pavement charging, and sometimes installation of a wall box on your house, can all depend upon planning permissions from a local authority. This means that changes made through this Bill could have a long-lasting impact on how and where chargepoints are installed.
For a recap on what’s in the Bill, and why it’s important, read our previous blog post:
As well as the existing changes that the Bill will introduce, to make it easier and cheaper to install public chargepoints, there is a real opportunity for additional changes that will make it easier for millions of future EV drivers to access the charging network, helping create an EV charging network that’s fit for the future.
Together with our partners at New Automotive, the REA, Kerbo Charge and Motability Foundation, we suggested three additional amendments to the Bill :
Many drivers without driveways want to make use of these technologies so they can charge from home and access cheaper tariffs. This Bill is an opportunity to make the planning process for installing cross-pavement solutions easier and cheaper.
The Bill was also an opportunity to give leaseholders and drivers in rented accommodation and multi-occupancy buildings the right to request a chargepoint or the ability to challenge refusals to install one by freeholders and landlords, even if they are paying the costs. Without this, millions of people who don’t own their homes remain locked out of home charging, a key convenience and cost benefit of EV ownership.
Research from the Motability Foundation shows that no public charge point in the country currently fully meets PAS 1899, the current minimum accessibility standard. For the 1.35 million UK drivers with a disability, this means that public charging simply isn’t an option, locking them out of the EV transition. This Bill is an opportunity to make sure the Government has the future power to monitor and assess whether chargepoints are meeting the standard, and if needed, mandate them to do so.
Since the Bill’s introduction, we’ve been engaging with MPs and Peers to try to get these proposed changes make their way into the final bill.
When the Bill was being debated in the House of Commons, our proposed changes were raised by two Members of Parliament:
“Nearly four out of every 10 households in the UK do not have a driveway. For many of them, the transition to EVs remains a challenge because bureaucratic barriers mean that they face charging costs that are 10 times more expensive compared with those who can charge their car at home.”
“As we continue to invest in EV infrastructure, we need to make sure that it works for everyone. This amendment simply provides the tools for Government to monitor accessibility and act if voluntary progress stalls. Without this, we risk leaving behind over a million disabled drivers – not by intent, but by omission. It’s about getting ahead of a problem we already know exists, before it becomes harder and more expensive to fix.”
Unfortunately, no MP was able to put forward our Right to Charge amendment at that stage.
Whilst the Government did not accept our amendments at this stage of the Bill, the fact that they were raised gave us a strong platform for them to continue being discussed by Parliament as the Bill then passed into the House of Lords.
Baroness Caroline Pidgeon, supported by several Peers, has tabled our set of amendments to make it easier to install cross-pavement solutions, and Baron Borwick has tabled our amendment to tackle EV charging accessibility.
Following Summer Recess, the Bill now returns to the House of Lords this week for its final report stage there, and Baroness Pidgeon and Baron Borwick will raise our recommendations on accessibility and cross-pavement solutions on Wednesday morning.
If accepted, the Bill will then go through the Parliamentary ‘ping pong’ process, where the House of Commons and House of Lords debate and refine the final text until both Houses agree. Once agreed, the Bill will receive Royal Assent and become law.
If our amendments are not accepted, the Government must explain why, which give us a strong platform from which to continue to push Government for changes that make sure greater numbers of drivers are able to access affordable and accessible charging.
Stay tuned for our post House of Lords update later this week. We’ll share what happens next and how you can continue to support fair access to EV charging.
Making the EV transition accessible, fair and affordable is something we can achieve together.
If you would like to support our work on the Bill or other EV policy issues we are working on, you can get involved by becoming a member, a supporting partner or donating directly to EVA England.
Every member and contribution helps us make sure EV drivers’ voices are heard in Parliament and that the UK’s charging infrastructure works for everyone.
