Electric vehicle chargepoint operators will come into scope of England’s street works permit regime on 10 April 2026, following regulations made on 16 March and laid before Parliament on 19 March. The statutory instrument updates the Traffic Management Permit Scheme (England) Regulations 2007 so enforcement, permitting and information duties apply to EV charging works alongside utilities. It was signed by Transport minister Simon Lightwood.
The change gives legal effect to the shift set out in Section 49 of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, moving EV chargepoint operators from New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 section 50 licensing to the permit-based system. The instrument introduces a single term, “undertaker”, covering both those with a statutory right and those entitled by a street works permit to carry out charge point works now listed in section 48(3ZA) of the 1991 Act. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
In practical terms, EV chargepoint operators now sit within the established enforcement architecture of the 2007 Regulations. That includes offences for working without a permit (regulation 19) and for breaching permit conditions (regulation 20). Department for Transport statutory guidance confirms these offences may be addressed by fixed penalty notices where appropriate, alongside prosecution routes already available to authorities. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
The text updates replace “statutory undertaker” with “undertaker” across regulations 18, 19 and 20, and remove the word “statutory” in regulations 29 and 38B(1)(h). Regulation 38B sets out the information authorities must hold and submit through the Street Manager service, such as permit refusals; this adjustment ensures EV chargepoint activity is captured on the central register in the same way as traditional utilities. (app.hauc-uk.org.uk)
For highway authorities, the task is largely administrative. Local schemes and published guidance should reflect the broader definition of “undertaker”, and internal workflows should ensure EV chargepoint works are processed in Street Manager against the existing national timings, response windows and fee caps set out in permit scheme guidance. (gov.uk)
For operators, day‑to‑day compliance will mirror utility practice: obtain promoter credentials, submit permit applications via Street Manager, observe traffic‑sensitive restrictions and evidence reinstatement standards. Sector documentation published by West Yorkshire Combined Authority indicates operators will require a Street Works Act (SWA) code from GeoPlace to transact as works promoters. (westyorkshire.moderngov.co.uk)
The policy intent is to speed deployment. During Commons scrutiny of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, ministers cited average section 50 licence costs of £500–£1,000 with approval times of up to 12 weeks, compared with permit fees around £45–£130 and decisions in two to five days, depending on road category and works type. (hansard.parliament.uk)
Authorities are expected to continue applying permit conditions and sanctions proportionately. DfT’s permit scheme conditions guidance remains the operative reference for consistency, including use of fixed penalty notices and the interface with other street works charging and penalties regimes. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
The amendments apply in England only and do not alter core New Roads and Street Works Act duties around safety, reinstatement and noticing. DfT’s consultation outcome stressed that bringing chargepoint operators into permits would preserve those safeguards while improving coordination on the highway. (gov.uk)
No separate impact assessment accompanies this instrument. The Department for Transport relies on the assessment prepared for the EV measures within the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, with the relevant extract annexed to the Explanatory Memorandum published alongside the regulations. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)