[NathDyl]

Good evening,

Apologies if this topic has been covered numerous times before - we are looking for advice about the installation of an EV Charger at our property.

Our two parking bays are set-back from our property and in order to install an EV Charger we will need to either;

a) dig under our neighbours' parking bays (this is the 'quickest' route to our parking bays) or,

b) dig under the shared-access space that enables ourselves and our neighbours to access our parking bays (this would be a slightly longer route to take for installation).

We would like advice as to whether we require any formal planning permission to undertake this work for option a), or would the agreement of our neighbours suffice - if so, what would we require from them to serve as 'formal consent'. Alternatively, are the planning requirements different for option b) or would we need to contact our Local Authority with the area being a shared access space? (Note - it is a new-build estate and we are, as yet, not certain if the Local Authority are the relevant party to contact in this scenario).

Clearly, we would like to install this without upsetting our neighbours or breaking any planning laws / processes, so any advice would be greatly received.

Kind regards,

 

[cDy]

Unless you live in a Conservation Area (which might impose restrictions) I don't think you need planning permission, but a quick call to planning won't harm. The installation can only be certified by a qualified electrician, who will notify the local authority (and issue you with a certificate) and your DNO. The hardest part is probably getting your neighbours' permission - I'd get it in writing and file it with your deeds for future owners (with a plan showing the route of the cable). If you are lucky the parking bays will be block paving and can be fairly easily taken up and relaid. If they are tarmac then your neighbours might not want an ugly scar in the surface.

 

[donald]

The installation can only be certified by a qualified electrician, who will notify the local authority (and issue you with a certificate) and your DNO.

Just for clarity, anyone can actually lay the cable? A certified electrician (different from a qualified electrician! ) would have to connect the ends but you can do all that work yourself, right?

If you install a wiring/electrical system but don't connect anything up, the electrician just has to come along for 'an hour' to screw things up for you.

 

[Bullterrier]

Just for clarity, anyone can actually lay the cable? A certified electrician (different from a qualified electrician! ) would have to connect the ends but you can do all that work yourself, right?

If you install a wiring/electrical system but don't connect anything up, the electrician just has to come along for 'an hour' to screw things up for you.

Having also come along ‘for an hour’ earlier to agree the cable spec, burying details, how and where it emerges from the ground etc (or he might quite correctly decline to sign it off later).

But yes, the civils or grunt can be done by others.


The key here is the need for wayleave.

Is the property leasehold or freehold?

Who owns the land under which you want to pass the cable?

 

[Bullterrier]

I suspect the shared bit will be crawling with other services too so a detailed survey and/or very careful excavation will be needed. Where I am, any works to a ‘council’ pavement has to be done by one of their approved contractors (or they do it again and you get a bill).

 

[Tooks]

If it’s a new build estate there are likely to be a raft of restrictive covenants in force for a few years yet.

If the developers are still around I’d speak with them first.

 

[RunningStrong]

The installation can only be certified by a qualified electrician, who will notify the local authority (and issue you with a certificate) and your DNO.

You can self install, provided you notify the council correctly, complete the work to the standard required, and test the installation (with the appropriate test equipment) and submit the completion paperwork. You may then be subject to a building regulations visit, and could be fined if you're found lacking.

 

[Bullterrier]

You can self install, provided you notify the council correctly, complete the work to the standard required, and test the installation (with the appropriate test equipment) and submit the completion paperwork. You may then be subject to a building regulations visit, and could be fined if you're found lacking.

Yes a non-scheme but competent person can use BC but there will be a fee - here it’s about £275 and will need the cable exposed for inspection.

Doesn’t change the need for wayleave to permanently cross others’ property with a live cable.

 

[Bullterrier]

The alternative of having the charge point on the house and ‘safely’ passing the tether over the path may be preferable....a few local authorities have approved methods to do this.

 

[cDy]

You can self install, provided you notify the council correctly, complete the work to the standard required, and test the installation (with the appropriate test equipment) and submit the completion paperwork. You may then be subject to a building regulations visit, and could be fined if you're found lacking.

For most electrical work you have to get it inspected and a certificate issued. Building control are one of the bodies that could do it. Or you can get a qualified electrician to inspect, test and certify your work. A reasonable explanation is here: Building Regulations in England | Electrical Safety First

 

[RunningStrong]

For most electrical work you have to get it inspected and a certificate issued. Building control are one of the bodies that could do it. Or you can get a qualified electrician to inspect, test and certify your work. A reasonable explanation is here: Building Regulations in England | Electrical Safety First

That's not the whole story, and based on whether you pay a registered or unregistered electrician to do the work. Doing it yourself does not require the latter inspection.

 

[RunningStrong]

Yes a non-scheme but competent person can use BC but there will be a fee - here it’s about £275 and will need the cable exposed for inspection.

That's for BC to do the completion tests, and also to mitigate you against being fined in future. It's not a required step by law.

 

[cDy]

It's not a required step by law.

I wish you'd stop making false statements. Here's the relevant government document: Building regulations: part P - electrical safety. See page 9 for test and certification requirements and page 6 for what consists notifiable work. This includes installing any new circuit (such as a circuit for an EVSE) or a new consumer unit. As far as I am aware, the building regulations constitute UK law - you can be taken to court by someone for not following government instructions.

If the electrical work was not notifiable (putting in a new socket on a ring for example), you are correct and it is not notifiable and does not need inspection, testing and certification. But you could face action of some form (your insurers might not pay up) if it was found not to meet the IET regulations.

 

[Bullterrier]

That's for BC to do the completion tests, and also to mitigate you against being fined in future. It's not a required step by law.

Good luck getting a completion certificate from BC without some proof of competence - certainly where I am either they are paid to check it or you are a scheme member and that’s it.

 

[RunningStrong]

I wish you'd stop making false statements. Here's the relevant government document: Building regulations: part P - electrical safety. See page 9 for test and certification requirements and page 6 for what consists notifiable work. This includes installing any new circuit (such as a circuit for an EVSE) or a new consumer unit. As far as I am aware, the building regulations constitute UK law - you can be taken to court by someone for not following government instructions.

If the electrical work was not notifiable (putting in a new socket on a ring for example), you are correct and it is not notifiable and does not need inspection, testing and certification. But you could face action of some form (your insurers might not pay up) if it was found not to meet the IET regulations.

Oh dear, you haven't read Part P have you? 3.10-11

3.10 An installer who is competent to carry out inspection and testing should give the appropriate
BS 7671 certificate to the building control body, who will then take the certificate and the installer’s
qualifications into account in deciding what further action, if any, it needs to take. Building control
bodies may ask installers for evidence of their qualifications.
3.11 This can result in a lower building control charge as, when setting its charge, a local authority is
required by the Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 2010 to take account of the amount
of inspection work that it considers it will need to carry out.

Inspection may or may not be required, based on the discretion of the BC whether you are a competent person. A lower charge may be raised if a level of inspection is required, which may require exposure of the work already completed.

Same applies for gas appliances, when done without payment or reward.

But no electrician or gas tech will ever admit that.

 

[RunningStrong]

Good luck getting a completion certificate from BC without some proof of competence - certainly where I am either they are paid to check it or you are a scheme member and that’s it.

I agree, but proof of competence isn't the same as qualification, and the law requires evidence of competence not qualification.

 

[Bullterrier]

I agree, but proof of competence isn't the same as qualification, and the law requires evidence of competence not qualification.

The question then becomes how you would go about proving competence without qualifications? Also what about the presence of calibrated test kit to evidence your test results?

The simplest is usually to separate the grunt from the technical - we do this for supply moves too. As an example the last WPD move. Their surveyor/quote guy came out. He located the incoming route with his CAT device and we agreed where I would excavate to, saving about £300 against half a day of time for a labourer. They came and made the new splice and then we back filled to their spec.

 

[cDy]

Your initial statement was that:

You can self install, provided you notify the council correctly, complete the work to the standard required, and test the installation (with the appropriate test equipment) and submit the completion paperwork. You may then be subject to a building regulations visit, and could be fined if you're found lacking.

This implies that anyone can do it, which is what I'm objecting to. You missed out that you have to be a 'competent person', which is a legally defined term and not up to interpretation.

You've then said:

... based on the discretion of the BC whether you are a competent person.

But it isn't at the discretion of the BC. They have to check that the applicant is 'competent' and, legally, you can only be competent if you have been registered as such by an approved body. I think that all competent electricians will appear on Electrical Competent Person, but there are a number of bodies that can certify competence.

Of course, the BC could decide that you could fit a new socket, because that doesn't require competence - it is not notifiable.

 

[RunningStrong]

Your initial statement was that:

This implies that anyone can do it, which is what I'm objecting to. You missed out that you have to be a 'competent person', which is a legally defined term and not up to interpretation.

You've then said:

But it isn't at the discretion of the BC. They have to check that the applicant is 'competent' and, legally, you can only be competent if you have been registered as such by an approved body. I think that all competent electricians will appear on Electrical Competent Person, but there are a number of bodies that can certify competence.

Of course, the BC could decide that you could fit a new socket, because that doesn't require competence - it is not notifiable.

No, you've made up your own definition of competent and grossly confused competent DIY with commercial operators. The latter wouldn't pass muster unless they were registered. The former would be a waste of time for a single job.

And as I said, it has to be to the standard, which you have to be competent to achieve. I couldn't do that. But I know several people that are no longer shop-floor electricians, one actually is an IET Fellow, that has been approved competent when doing a DIY job, but it would be a waste of everyone's time for him to join a commercial register.

So no, at no point have I suggested just anyone could do it.

 

[RunningStrong]

The question then becomes how you would go about proving competence without qualifications? Also what about the presence of calibrated test kit to evidence your test results?

You can hire kit, that's simple enough.

To be qualified is a tick-box activity. To be competent is a discretionary decision. Pragmatism doesn't always win, and far too many DIY have-a-go-hero will over reach their capabilities, but that doesn't remove the fact that competency is legally required, not qualification.