Executive Summary
Energy UK is the trade association for the energy industry with over 100 members – from established FTSE 100 companies right through to new, growing suppliers, generators and service providers across energy, transport, heat and technology.
Energy UK’s members deliver nearly 80% of the UK’s power generation and over 95% of the energy supply for 28 million UK homes and businesses. The sector invests £13bn annually and delivers nearly £30bn in gross value – on top of the nearly £100bn in economic activity through its supply chain and interaction with other sectors. The energy industry is key to delivering growth and plans to invest £100bn over the course of this decade in new energy sources.
The energy sector supports 700,000 jobs in every corner of the country. Energy UK plays a key role in ensuring we attract and retain a diverse workforce. In addition to the Young Energy Professionals Forum, which has over 2,000 members representing over 350 organisations, Energy UK is a founding member of TIDE, an industry-wide taskforce to tackle Inclusion and Diversity across energy.
Energy UK strongly supports Government’s proposals to remove the planning barriers for chargepoint installation, enabling the rapid deployment of zero emission transport solutions.
- Removing these planning barriers would be a crucial tool in supporting the Government’s targets of installing 300,000 chargepoints by 2030, and in meeting broader goals of supporting a clean power transition. [1]
- Cross-pavement solutions are key to broadening access to home charging, particularly for households without off-street parking, and offer consumers convenient and affordable charging options which support smarter energy usage.
- Energy UK would urge swift implementation of the Welsh Government’s changes to permitted development rights, to ensure the UK can benefit from a widespread charging network. [2]
- Any changes to permitted development rights should be aligned with recent proposals to require solar installations on car parks across the UK, which will also require changes to planning policies.
- Broadening permitted development rights would reduce the number of applications going through Local Planning Authorities, reducing the additional casework and strain on the system and freeing up capacity for other projects.
If you have any questions about this response or wish to engage with Energy UK and its members, we would welcome further engagement. Please contact Louise Evans, Policy Manager (Transport Decarbonisation) at louise.evans@energy-uk.org.uk or Chris Friedler, Policy Manager (Environment and Planning) at chris.friedler@energy-uk.org.uk
[1] UK Parliament (2025) Public charge points for electric vehicles
[2] Welsh Government (2025) Changes to Permitted Development Rights
Downloads
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Energy UK – EV Permitted Development Rights Response PDF
Type: PDF (160 KB)