By Ika Castka
Wilson Browne Solicitors
ELECTRIC vehicles are on the increase and with the acceleration of the Government’s intention to end the sale of new combustion engine-powered cars and vans to 2035, should developers be looking at installing charging points in all new developments?
Amendments to the Building Regulations 2010 were proposed in July 2019 when the Department for Transport and Office for Low Emission Vehicles consultation proposed that all residential and non-residential buildings should include Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure requirements. The government has now indicated that it intends the changes to come into force in the first half of this year.
The proposals included
* Every new residential building with an associated car parking space has a chargepoint.
– Every residential building undergoing major renovation with more than ten car parking spaces has one chargepoint and cable routes for EV chargepoints in every car parking space.
– Every new non-residential building and every non-residential building undergoing a major renovation with more than ten car parking spaces has one chargepoint and cable routes for an EV chargepoint for one in five spaces.
– At least one chargepoint in existing non-residential buildings with more than 20 car parking spaces, applicable from 2025.
However there are a number of exemptions from the chargepoint installation requirement, relating mainly to cost implications but also include an exemption for existing non-residential buildings that are SMEs.
Most of the changes would be introduced through a new part to the Building Regulations 2010, although the requirements for existing non-residential buildings with more than 20 car parking spaces to include at least one charge point cannot be introduced in that way, so the government will need to introduce separate legislation and an enforcement regime.
These new requirements are likely to impact on the property market sooner rather than later and it is yet another factor for developers, landlords, tenants and property owners to consider.
Call 0800 088 6004 for more details, email or visit www.wilsonbrowne.co.uk
