To ask the Minister for Infrastructure what consideration her Department is giving to change rules to allow people, living in terrace houses with narrow front gardens and off street parking spaces, to have a dropped kerb installed to allow them to charge their electric cars at home without having cabling across public footpaths.

I recognise the importance of having modern, reliable public electric vehicle charging infrastructure to provide confidence for users of Ultra Low Emission Vehicles and in respect of the connectivity improvements this would bring about. I am committed to exploring all options and new solutions to enhance our charge point infrastructure, improve lives and tackle the climate emergency.

Where a householder wishes to construct a new or altered access to facilitate charging of their electric vehicle, my Department can grant approval, under Article 80 of the Roads (Northern Ireland) Order 1993, for the construction of a ‘permitted means of access to a road’, in those circumstances where planning permission is not required.

Normally, consent under Article 80 covers alterations to a footway or verge, including the lowering of kerbs, if applicable, to facilitate the construction of a new access, or alteration of an existing access, where the access / hard standing complies with ‘permitted development’ conditions onto a road, and where planning permission is not required. This applies to unclassified roads such as residential streets and rural roads with low traffic volumes.

The householder is responsible for bearing the costs of the works required. Full details of the consent process can be found at https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/publications/application-consent-construct-or-alter-vehicular-access