England scraps section 50 licence requirement to speed public EV charger rollout
By Eve
The new Planning and Infrastructure Act removes the obligation for chargepoint operators to obtain a section 50 licence before installing equipment on public highways in England, replacing it with a street works permit system similar to that used by utilities. The change addresses a major bottleneck under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, where application timescales and costs varied widely. The reform accompanies a £600m funding boost and measures to reduce charging costs for drivers.
Why it matters
Streamlining highway access permissions cuts procurement timelines and administrative costs for CPOs deploying on street infrastructure. The alignment with utility permitting processes should reduce variability in project delivery schedules across local authorities.
Source
- Original title
- “Red tape cut to speed up rollout of public EV chargers across England”
- Published
- 18 December 2025
- Updated
- 18 July 2026
In this story
- Topic
- EV Charging
- Place
- United Kingdom
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