The Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC) issued a formal opinion on 2 May 2025 on the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) impact assessment covering amendments to permitted development rights (PDR) for off-street electric vehicle charging points (EVCPs) and air source heat pumps (ASHPs) on domestic premises1. The assessment was submitted on 21 April 2025, with the policy stage recorded as final and the implementation date still to be confirmed1.
The proposals cover two technologies, each with three options. For ASHPs, Option 1 would retain current regulations, Option 2, the preferred option, would reduce the circumstances in which an ASHP installation requires planning permission, and Option 3 would allow the installation of multiple ASHPs under a single PDR rather than just one1. For EVCPs, Option 1 would retain current regulations, Option 2, also preferred, would reduce the circumstances in which an off-street charge point requires planning permission, and Option 3 would introduce more generous conditions, such as no height limit for electrical upstands1. Both preferred options have been subject to monetised appraisal in separate impact assessments, submitted jointly with a single Equivalent Annual Net Direct Cost to Business (EANDCB)1.
The RPC validated the EANDCB at -£36.6 million in 2025 prices, on a 2025/26 present value base year1. The department's own estimate is given as -£36.3 million over ten years, based on savings to businesses from planning fees, noise assessment fees for ASHPs and reduced time spent on applications outweighing familiarisation costs1. The largest single impact was avoided noise assessment fees for ASHPs, with an EANDCB of -£12.7 million1. The opinion records a business net present value of £314.6 million and an overall net present value of £1,287.3 million over a ten-year appraisal period from 2025/26 to 2034/351.
The RPC rated the cost-benefit analysis as good, the rationale and options and wider impacts as satisfactory, and the monitoring and evaluation plan as weak1. It said the impact assessments would benefit from discussing the impact of an increase in installations arising from the proposed policies, and from a more detailed discussion of environmental and competition impacts1. On small and micro businesses, the RPC said the department does not exempt them because they are expected to benefit from the proposal, and that the largest impact would fall on private landlords through averted planning applications1.
The opinion cites survey evidence from an energy supplier that 34% of those who order a heat pump were discouraged or dropped out for reasons related to planning permission1. It also refers to the government's consultation on changes to various permitted development rights, which recommended proposals to amend PDRs to support the rollout of ASHPs1. The RPC noted the rationale would be improved by discussing current uptake rates to indicate the scale of the problem1.
Why it matters for households
Permitted development rights set out the home improvements that can proceed without a planning application. For a household considering an air source heat pump or an off-street charge point, the planning process can add cost, time and uncertainty, and the impact assessment identifies planning permission as a reason some heat pump orders were abandoned1. The proposals would reduce the circumstances in which either installation needs permission, which bears directly on how quickly a home can add low-carbon heating or charging capacity on its own land. The RPC's ratings indicate the financial case has been examined closely, while the plan for checking whether the changes work in practice is described as weak1. The figures also show where the benefit falls: private landlords are identified as the group gaining most from averted planning applications, and acoustic assessors may lose business if noise assessments are no longer required for ASHPs1.
What happens next
The implementation date is recorded as to be confirmed1. The RPC opinion is formal and the policy stage is final, but no date has been reported for when the amended rights would take effect1.
Sources1 cited
- RPC_Opinion_The_Town_and_Country_Planning__General_Permitted_Development___England___Amendment__Order_2025.pdf, assets.publishing.service.gov.uk