England has switched public EV charge point street works to a permit-based regime, effective 13 March 2026. The Department for Transport has commenced section 49 of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, which formalises the use of street works permits for public charge points in England, replacing reliance on one‑off section 50 licences noted in earlier policy papers. (legislation.gov.uk)

In legal terms, section 49 amends the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 so that installing, maintaining or removing a public charge point in a street in England can be executed “in pursuance of a street works permit.” It also defines “public charge point” by reference to the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018 and updates who is treated as the works promoter when operating under a permit. (legislation.gov.uk)

Operationally, this is a material shift for charge point operators. Until now, CPOs were not statutory undertakers and typically had to secure a section 50 street works licence from each highway authority; undertakers, by contrast, operate via permits under the Traffic Management Act 2004. Moving EV installations onto permit schemes aligns CPOs with that structured, time‑boxed process. (gov.uk)

Government’s consultation and its published outcome make clear that CPOs will access the permit regime as non‑statutory undertakers and that none of the existing New Roads and Street Works Act safeguards are being diluted. Duties around safety, reinstatement, the 2–3 year guarantee period and sampled inspections (for example, £50 per inspection) continue to apply. (gov.uk)

Why it matters for delivery teams: permits standardise what was previously a patchwork of local section 50 conditions, deposits and variable timelines. Highway authorities’ permit schemes are governed by national regulations and guidance, giving programme managers clearer windows for approvals and more predictable conditions to plan traffic management and night works. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)

Expect fewer scheduling clashes and better co‑ordination with utilities. Ministers told Parliament the permit route should improve planning and reduce disruption on the road network-helpful when bundling charger civils with grid connection works or when sequencing multiple bays on the same corridor. That feeds straight into shorter critical paths and steadier crew utilisation. (hansard.parliament.uk)

For procurement leads and CFOs, the move shifts cost profiles from bespoke, authority‑by‑authority licence terms to published permit fee schedules with regulatory maxima. The administrative burden falls, but compliance costs remain: teams still need competent reinstatement, accurate notices, and audit‑ready records to avoid penalties or rework. Build this into contractor frameworks and service‑level targets. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)

The wider context is speed. The Act’s impact assessment argues that streamlining approvals can unlock sizeable time and cost savings across infrastructure programmes. Bringing EV charge points into the permit system is one of the near‑term steps aimed at practical delivery rather than new targets-useful for CPOs, local authorities and site hosts trying to scale networks through 2026. (publications.parliament.uk)