Class E – Large Car Charger Points

The installation, alteration or replacement, within an area lawfully used for off-street parking, of an upstand with an electrical outlet mounted on it for recharging electric vehicles.

This permitted development right for larger car charger points applies to flats, dwellings, businesses etc. subject to certain limits

Upstand? Probably not called this in real life, but that is what the legislation calls them! We will simply say large car charger points. Class E, would normally be more common in car park for car charging, whereas at home a smaller car charger point would be under Class D.

Unlike a lot of permitted development rights, this can be used at a block of flats, at an office or indeed anywhere that legal off street parking exists for car charger points.

If within the curtilage of a dwellinghouse or a block of flats the units can be up to 1.6 metres tall. If within any other location, i.e. service areas the maximum height of the car charger point is 2.7m from 29th May 2025.

It can’t be within a scheduled monument or a listed building. You also are limited to 1 car charger point per parking space. Although not sure why you would want more than one car charger point per space, but those are the rules!

Class E could be withdrawn via a restriction on the building usually through a previous planning application or via restrictions in a conservation area etc.

As from 29th May 2025 the restriction preventing the car charging points within 2m of a highway is removed. In addition you may now have housing for equipment used to operate the car charging points under permitted development. This avoids an additional application. This is limited to 29 cubic metres and not higher than 3m. it must not be  within 5m of a highway, 10m of a dwelling or in a scheduled monument site or the curtilage of a listed building.

Legislation

Class E – electrical upstand etc. for recharging vehicles

Permitted development

E. (1) The installation, alteration or replacement, within an area lawfully used for off-street parking, of an upstand with an electrical outlet mounted on it for recharging electric vehicles.
(2) The installation, alteration or replacement, at ground level within a non-domestic area lawfully used for off-street parking, of—
(a) equipment necessary for the operation of an upstand the installation of which would be permitted by this Class;
(b) a unit of equipment housing for the storage of equipment necessary for the operation of an upstand the installation of which would be permitted by this Class.

Development not permitted

E.1 (1) Development is not permitted by Class E(1) if the upstand and the outlet would—
(a) in relation to an upstand and outlet—
(i) within the curtilage of a dwellinghouse or a block of flats, exceed 1.6 metres in height from the level of the surface used for the parking of vehicles; or
(ii) in any other case, exceed 2.7 metres in height from the level of the surface used for the parking of vehicles;
(c) be within a site designated as a scheduled monument;
(d) be within the curtilage of a listed building; or
(e) result in more than 1 upstand being provided for each parking space.

(2) Development is not permitted by paragraph E(2)(a) if the equipment would not be contained within equipment housing the installation of which would be permitted by this Class.

(3) Development is not permitted by paragraph E(2)(b) if—
(a) it would result in there being more than 1 unit of equipment housing within a non-domestic area lawfully used for off-street parking;

(b) the unit of equipment housing would—
(i) have a volume exceeding 29 cubic metres;
(ii) exceed 3 metres in height from the level of the surface used for the parking of vehicles;
(iii) be within 5 metres of a highway;
(iv) be within 10 metres of the curtilage of a dwellinghouse or block of flats;
(v) be within a site designated as a scheduled monument;
(vi) be within the curtilage of a listed building.

Conditions

E.2 Development is permitted by Class E subject to the conditions that when the development is no longer needed as a charging point for electric vehicles—
(a) the development is removed as soon as reasonably practicable; and
(b) the land on which the development was mounted or into which the development was set is, as soon as reasonably practicable, and so far as reasonably practicable, reinstated to its condition before that development was carried out.

E.3. Interpretation of Class E

For the purposes of Class E—
“block of flats” means a building which consists of at least two flats

Updated: 10th May 2025