Latest news with #LewisGardiner
The Irish Sun
7 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Major rule change for millions of EV drivers across England – will YOU be affected?
A MAJOR rule change could affect millions of electric vehicle drivers. The rule came into effect on May 29. Advertisement 4 A new rule could make it even easier to find EV charging stations Credit: Getty 4 EVs could save drivers £1,100 a year in running costs Credit: Getty 4 The new rule came into effect on May 29 Credit: Getty It is good news for electric vehicle drivers, as the new rule means that drivers and businesses no longer need to submit a planning application before installing public or private EV sockets. It's hoped that it will save both Lilian Greenwood, the Future of Roads Minister, announced the news. She said in an Advertisement Read more Motors This saving is calculated for the comparative running cost of a petrol or diesel model. The minister is hoping that the There are currently an estimated 80,000 charge points in the UK. with one installed every 29 minutes according to the statement. In the last year alone, 18,000 sockets were installed in workplace carparks. Advertisement Most read in Motors Breaking Some motorists seemed less than thrilled by the news, sharing their concerns on social media. Japanese giant unveils its new bargain EV with quirky 'bug eye' headlights One person wrote: "There's four houses on my street it's going to be chocker block, my husband wouldn't be able to pull into the drive." Others were skeptical about how successful the scheme will be, as one said: "It will take decades for electric infrastructure not to mention the streets and homes and flats with no access for electric charging points." Advertisement Another commented: "Why is our government so fixed on forcing us down the ev manufacturers are scaling back on ev now." As more car manufacturers shift towards Not only will this help with meeting climate targets, but they hope it will also create more jobs as part of their Plan for Change initiative. The government has already safeguarded 150,000 jobs in the industry through trade deals with the US, India and the EU. Advertisement A further 1,000 jobs were created by an investment of £1 billion in a Sunderland-based Responding to the new changes, the Operations Director of Osprey Charging Network Lewis Gardiner, said: "This is a hugely welcome and practical change that will make a real difference on the ground. "Removing the need for planning permission for essential electrical infrastructure like substations across the majority of sites will save months of delays, reduce costs and accelerate the delivery of the rapid charging hubs drivers need. "It's the result of months of collaboration between industry and government and we're proud to have played a key role in making it happen." Advertisement Switching to an electric vehicle can bring a range of benefits for drivers, particularly as the market continues to expand. This includes As the market expands, EV cars are becoming more affordable, with 2 in 5 used EVs now under £20,000 and 29 brand new models for under £30,000. Their engines have Advertisement The new government rule is helping to make it easier than ever to drive an electric vehicle, with the hopes of encouraging more accessible charging stations across the UK. 4 The government is working to make the UK a leader in the EV industry Credit: Getty
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
EV charger installations no longer require planning permission
The UK government will now allow the installation of EV chargers without planning permission from a local authority, regardless of whether it's for private or public use. The move is intended to accelerate the roll-out of EV chargers across the UK, the previous Conservative government having set a target for the installation of 300,000 chargers across the nation by 2030. Installations of private chargers at homes with off-street parking were already exempt from planning permission in most cases. However, the requirement of a green light from local authorities for larger public developments had previously been cited as a key bottleneck in the roll-out of the UK's charging network. Ian Johnston, CEO of charger provider Osprey, last year told Autocar: 'The problem is you've got to go through a process which is under-resourced and takes six to nine months to get planning permission.' The new exemption from obtaining planning permission is likely to make a particular difference in the speed at which large charging 'hubs' can be installed, given that these typically require the installation of supporting infrastructure, such as electrical substations. Lewis Gardiner, Osprey's operations director, today said in a government statement: 'This is a hugely welcome and practical change that will make a real difference on the ground. "Removing the need for planning permission for essential electrical infrastructure like substations across the majority of sites will save months of delays, reduce costs and accelerate the delivery of the rapid charging hubs drivers need.' Lilian Greenwood, minister for the future of roads, added: 'We're cutting down on paperwork to power up the EV revolution so that drivers, businesses and those looking to make the switch will have more charge points to power from and less red tape to deal with." Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for motoring organisation AA, said the move was 'a positive step' that 'will help accelerate installations'. According to charger mapping firm Zap-Map, there were more than 79,000 publicly accessible charge points across the UK at the end of April 2025. This was up from some 73,000 at the end of 2024 and just under 54,000 at the end of 2023. ]]>
Wales Online
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Wales Online
New rules affecting roads and drivers across Wales planned
New rules affecting roads and drivers across Wales planned The Welsh Government has proposed changes to help the transition to a new future A new rule for driveways in England came into force this Thursday (May 29) and something similar looks on the way for Wales (Image: InYourArea ) A new law coming into force in England could soon be repeated in Wales. From this week, people in England will no longer need to submit planning applications in order to install electric vehicle chargers, a law which will effect every household in England. The Labour government hopes that this new law will streamline the process of installing EV chargers and therefore reduce months of delays and possibly saving drivers £1,100 a year. They say it will give drivers more chargepoints, with less red tape. In April this year, the Welsh Government published a consultation which proposes to change the development rules around EV charging infrastructure. The proposals would bring Wales further in line with provisions in Scotland and England by removing the 2m from a highway restriction and, in certain instances, increasing the height limit of chargers to 2.7m. The Welsh Government said: "The number of EV charging points across Wales needs to increase to support the anticipated growth in electric vehicle usage, and to align with Net Zero Wales targets and UK Government's proposed ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030/35. "Reliable and comprehensive charging infrastructure is needed to support this transition. "The changes will further facilitate the roll-out of electric vehicle charge points in line with predicted growth in use of electric vehicles and to ensure sufficient charging infrastructure is available to support zero emission vehicle targets." Other changes to permitted development rights in Wales laid out in the consultation include increased provision for air source heat pumps and increased rights for recreation campsites. The Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, called England's move a boost for the "EV revolution". Love dreamy Welsh homes? Sign up to our newsletter here . She added: "We continue to make the switch to EVs easier, cheaper and better by investing over £2.3billion to support drivers and back British carmakers through international trade deals - creating jobs, boosting investment and securing our future as part of our Plan for Change." Osprey Charging Network's operations director, Lewis Gardiner, said changes in England would make a "real difference". He continued: "Removing the need for planning permission for essential electrical infrastructure like substations across the majority of sites will save months of delays, reduce costs and accelerate the delivery of the rapid charging hubs drivers need." Article continues below Research by Autotrader shows that the number of EV chargers in the UK rose from by 30,000 at the end of 2021, to 77,000 as of March 2025. The Welsh Government consultation runs until July 1, 2025. It can be viewed here.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
New car rule for driveways in England could save you more than £1,000
More drivers and businesses will no longer need to submit a planning application to install public or private electrical car chargepoints - which could save drivers up to £1,100 More drivers and businesses will no longer need to submit a planning application to install public or private electrical car chargepoints. The change, announced by the Department for Transport on Thursday, will save drivers up to £1,100 a year as the Government cuts red tape to make it easier than ever to install electric vehicle (EV) sockets. Around 20-25% driveways - approximately three million - still required a planning request for an EV chargepoint, according to DfT estimates. Every driveway will now be able to get a charge point without submitting a planning permission submission, which can sometimes take as long as nine months. The announcement comes on top of already significant discounts from Government to help drivers install chargepoints outside their house. Support currently allows people renting or owning a flat, and those with on-street parking, to receive up to £350 off the cost of installing a home charger. It also follows some 18,600 sockets having been installed in workplace carparks in the last year alone. Official statistics show that a record of nearly 3,000 public charging devices were added in April alone – with one popping up every 29 minutes. Nearly 80,000 public EV chargepoints are now available in the UK. Ministers said getting the EV transition right and supporting the growth of the electric vehicle market in the UK "will enable Britain to tap into a multibillion-pound industry". For drivers, running an EV can cost as little as 2p per mile. And buying one is also cheaper, with two in five used EVs now under £20,000, and 29 brand new models priced under £30,000. Most new EVs have a range of nearly 300 miles – enough to get from London to Newcastle on one charge. Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said: 'We're cutting down on paperwork to power up the EV revolution, so that drivers, businesses and those looking to make the switch will have more chargepoints to power from, and less red tape to deal with. 'We continue to make the switch to EVs easier, cheaper and better by investing over £2.3bn to support drivers and back British carmakers through international trade deals - creating jobs, boosting investment and securing our future as part of our Plan for Change.' Lewis Gardiner, Operations Director, Osprey Charging Network, said: " This is a hugely welcome and practical change that will make a real difference on the ground. 'Removing the need for planning permission for essential electrical infrastructure like substations across the majority of sites will save months of delays, reduce costs, and accelerate the delivery of the rapid charging hubs drivers need. "It's the result of months of collaboration between industry and Government, and we're proud to have played a key role in making it happen." Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury's Chief Property and Procurement Officer and MD of Smart Charge, said: 'Everyone at Smart Charge knows how important it is to make EV charging simple, reliable and accessible – both to make transport cleaner and to ensure we're meeting the everyday needs of drivers throughout the UK. 'We welcome this new streamlined approach to installing charge points, which will help accelerate the nation's adoption of EVs."
North Wales Chronicle
4 days ago
- Automotive
- North Wales Chronicle
Planning rules eased for electric vehicle chargers
The reduction in red tape applies from Thursday to private residential driveways, workplaces and public streets. The move is intended to boost the rollout of chargepoints. There have been reports of it taking up to nine months to obtain planning permission from councils for public installations. Boosting public charging infrastructure is seen as vital to persuade more drivers – particularly those without off-road parking – to switch to electric motoring. A report published by public spending watchdog the National Audit Office in December found the rollout of public EV chargers was 'on track' to meet the 300,000 the DfT estimates will be the minimum needed by 2030. The Government has pledged to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2030. Future of roads minister Lilian Greenwood said: 'We're cutting down on paperwork to power up the EV revolution so that drivers, businesses and those looking to make the switch will have more chargepoints to power from and less red tape to deal with. 'We continue to make the switch to EVs easier, cheaper and better by investing over £2.3 billion to support drivers and back British carmakers through international trade deals, creating jobs, boosting investment and securing our future.' Lewis Gardiner, operations director at Osprey Charging Network, described the announcement as 'a hugely welcome and practical change that will make a real difference on the ground'. He added: 'Removing the need for planning permission for essential electrical infrastructure like substations across the majority of sites will save months of delays, reduce costs and accelerate the delivery of the rapid charging hubs drivers need.' AA head of roads policy Jack Cousens said the Government must do 'all it can' to increase the number of EV chargers, and easing planning regulations 'will help accelerate installations'. He went on: 'The crucial element is ensuring grid connection in a timely manner. 'This is especially important in rural locations and areas where there is no dedicated off-street parking.' RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis welcomed the announcement because encouraging more drivers to make their next car an EV depends on 'removing the obstacles some people face'. But he warned that the 'relatively high cost of public charging … still needs to be tackled'.
