Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of changing planning regulations to introduce a presumption in favour of permitting on street electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Nationally set permitted development rights enable local authorities to install electric vehicle charging points without the need for a planning application. We have recently amended the rights so that bodies working on behalf of the local authority can also undertake the works. In the context of planning applications, the National Planning Policy Framework outlines that planning policies should take into account the need to ensure adequate provision of spaces for charging plug-in and other ultra-low emission vehicles.