A charger on the front wall is only half a solution when the car is parked on the street. The pavement between them is a public route, used by wheelchair users, children, people with sight loss and anyone simply walking past. Getting a cable across it safely takes more than choosing a charger.

Since 21 October 2026, new permitted development rules in England have removed the need for a separate planning application for qualifying pavement-embedded charging cable channels. These are often called gullies. They provide a recessed route for the cable between domestic premises and a parked vehicle.

An illustrative cable-channel installation pictured in Department for Transport guidance. The precise site and individual photographer are unidentified. Source: DfT, Crown copyright 2024, Open Government Licence v3.0 except third-party material.

The change could make home charging more accessible to some households without driveways. It does not let a resident dig a trench in the footway, reserve the parking space outside the house or assume that a loose cable under a mat is now authorised.

The planning permission comes from Class F of England’s General Permitted Development Order. It covers a pavement-embedded channel from domestic premises to a parked vehicle, installed, altered or replaced by a highway authority, someone acting on its behalf or someone it has authorised.

Class F does not cover channels in conservation areas, on scheduled monument sites or within the curtilage of a listed building. If you are unsure whether the location is excluded, check with the planning authority. When the channel is no longer needed, it must be removed and the pavement returned to its previous condition as soon as reasonably practicable.

The chargepoint itself is a separate installation, with its own planning limits and conditions. A wall-mounted unit beside the highway needs an address-specific check. Planning Portal also advises checking whether an Article 4 direction has removed permitted development rights locally. If the proposal falls outside the permitted route, ask the planning authority what application or other consent is needed.

Before ordering equipment, ask the authority responsible for the pavement whether it permits residential cable channels at your address. In a two-tier council area, the highways team may be at county level while planning sits with the district or borough. Ask to be directed to the team dealing with cross-pavement EV charging.

The authority needs to consider the site, pedestrian access, existing underground services and the proposed equipment. It may have an approved product or contractor and a particular licensing process. On an unadopted road or privately maintained estate, establish who owns and manages the land and what permissions they require. Tenants and leaseholders must also resolve the relevant landlord or freeholder permissions.

Do the parking check at the same time. A channel does not confer priority over the space beside it. If another vehicle regularly occupies that part of the road, an installation might be technically possible yet awkward to use. Existing parking restrictions still matter; a charging cable is not a reason to obstruct the footway or stretch a lead across the carriageway.

Use a competent EV chargepoint installer for the electrical assessment and installation. The IET’s July 2026 technical guidance explains why an apparently tidy channel does not settle every safety issue: nearby street lighting, other vehicles and different earthing arrangements can affect whether the location is suitable. Cable length and installation conditions also need assessment.

These are questions for the installer and, where required, the electricity network operator. Ask who will provide the appropriate electrical certification and deal with building-regulations requirements. Do not attempt the pavement excavation or electrical connection yourself.

A price for the wall charger alone tells you little about the whole job. Ask for a written total showing the channel and authorised street works, charger supply and fitting, any electrical upgrades, surveys, licences, pavement reinstatement, VAT and any insurance requirement. Keep one-off charges separate from continuing licence, inspection or maintenance fees.

The terms should also say who clears debris from the channel, who repairs damage, what happens if you move, and who pays to remove the equipment when it is no longer needed. Funding and ownership arrangements vary. Check any grant against your circumstances and get confirmation before treating it as money off the bill.

The Department for Transport puts the potential saving from the planning change at up to £300. That does not price the charger and street works, or guarantee a saving for every address. To compare home charging with a public charger, you would still need your actual tariffs and charging pattern.

The October planning change described here applies to England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own arrangements; do not use the English exemption as authority for work elsewhere.

The most useful first request to your highways team is precise: “Do you authorise a pavement-embedded EV cable channel at my address, which products and installers can I use, and what are the installation and continuing conditions?” Get that answer before paying for a charger that may have no approved route to the car.