Benefits of owning an electric vehicle
If you own, or are looking to own, either a fully electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, you could be eligible for the following:
Some of these exemptions are time-limited. If you drive a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, you will need to check if you are still eligible for the above exemptions.
Changes to planning applications
From 29 May 2025, the Government announced that The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order 2025 will make it easier for some residents and businesses to install an electric vehicle charge point on their property.
The amendments include:
- Removing the limitation that off-street outlets and upstands for recharging electrical vehicles cannot be installed within 2 metres of a highway.
- Allowing off-street electrical upstands up to a height of 2.7 metres where not within the curtilage of a dwellinghouse or block of flats.
- Allow for the installation of equipment, and a unit of equipment housing for the storage of said equipment, necessary for the operation of electrical upstands within the ground level of a non-domestic area used for off-street parking.
More information can be found here: The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order 2025
Charge points on the public highway (such as a public footpath or kerbside) will still require permission from the Council. These changes also do not apply to cross-pavement solutions, such as gullies. If you would like to request a charge point for on-street public use, please email EVCP@redbridge.gov.uk.
Changes to electric vehicle parking subsidies
Please note that from 1 February 2025:
- Redbridge no longer subsides EV parking in council car parks EV are now required to pay for parking
- Redbridge no longer subsides EV’s in controlled parking zones (CPZ). EV now have to pay the full amount for permit parking in controlled parking zones (CPZ)
Charging my electric vehicle on-street
The Council are continuing to install charge points across the borough that are available for public use.
You can see where existing public charging points are located in Redbridge and across the country using Zapmap.
Request an on-street electric vehicle charge point
If you are a resident or business in Redbridge that owns an electric vehicle, or you’re thinking about purchasing an electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid, you can suggest a location and request the installation of an on-street electric vehicle charge point near to where you live or work.
You can suggest a charge point location on the internet by visiting char.gy or charge my street.
Alternatively, you can suggest a location for a charge point by emailing EVCP@redbridge.gov.uk. We will register your interest to help us determine local demand for new charge points.
Grants for approved electric vehicles and for installing electric vehicle charge points
For information on government electric vehicle charge point grants, please follow this weblink: Office for Zero Emission Vehicles - GOV.UK
For more information on vehicles approved for government support grants, please visit: Low-emission vehicles eligible for a plug-in grant: Overview - GOV.UK
Charging my electric vehicle at home
There are various government grants available to reduce the cost of charging at home. Please see the following weblinks
Charging my electric vehicle at Work
There are various government grants available to reduce the cost of charging at work. Please see the following weblinks
Electric vehicle charging cable gullies
Redbridge Council does not currently provide electric vehicle charging cable gullies for residents.
A number of Councils, in London and across the UK, are undertaking a number of different trials of these to see if they are a suitable solution to allow residents to charge their electric vehicle from their domestic electricity supply which is cheaper than using an on-street electric vehicle charge point.
The Redbridge Electric Vehicle Strategy (PDF 9.32MB) included a section on emerging technology and states that “The council will closely monitor development around these technologies and trial these solutions as appropriate to help understand what’s feasible to deliver safely within the borough”.
Redbridge Council is waiting to see if the trials are successful. Once the outcomes are known the Council will decide whether to allow the installation of these in Redbridge
Under the Highways Act 1980, any person who for any purpose places any rope, wire or other apparatus across a highway in such a manner as to be likely to cause danger to persons using the highway is guilty of an offence and may be liable to a fine.
If you do not have off-street parking, you must not trail your cable across the pavement, including the use of pavement drainage channels or a cable protector. You can be held responsible if a passer-by injures themselves due to your cable. Cables that are laid across the ground can limit accessibility of the footway and can also negatively impact people with disabilities.
Redbridge Electric Vehicle strategy
Redbridge Council will facilitate the provision of accessible, reliable, and inclusive Electric Vehicle charge points, which is fairly priced, to all residents, visitors and businesses.
The Redbridge Electric Vehicle Strategy is developed to support a smooth transition to Zero Emission Vehicles across the borough, while considering our core objectives of encouraging and enabling walking, wheeling and cycling. The strategy supports our vision to become carbon neutral by 2030 and carbon zero by 2050.
Read Redbridge's Electric Vehicle Strategy
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Why is Redbridge Council installing electric vehicle charge points?
The Council is looking to install more electric vehicle charge points (EVCPs) to allow residents, visitors, and businesses to charge their electric vehicles (EVs) across the borough.
With more electric vehicles purchased, the demand to charge across the borough is increasing and the Council needs to meet that demand, as well as giving motorists the confidence to switch to electric vehicles.
As part of its draft Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy, the London Borough of Redbridge has carried out a demand analysis and identified gaps in electric vehicle charge point provision.
Electric vehicle charge point installation will address locations where gaps in provision have been identified, to ensure that every resident is within a 5-minute walk of a charge point by 2026 and within a 3-minute walk of a charge point by 2030.
What are the grant programmes and where does the funding come from?
UBER: The Council has received funding from UBER and Believ (the Charge Point Operator), to install and operate up to 174 fast chargers (7-22 kWh) in a programme to be completed in 2025/26. The total funding provided will equate up to £1.131m.
On-street Residential Charge Point Scheme (ORCS): Redbridge Council received £0.558m ORCS funding from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and £0.170m match funding from Ubitricity (the Charge Point Operator) to install 310 EV Charge Points in a programme to be completed in 2025/26.
These two grant programmes will enable electric vehicle charge points to be installed at no cost to the Council.
The Council continues to explore opportunities for further funding for electric vehicle charge point installation.
How can I request additional electric vehicle charge point locations?
If you would like to request an on-street electric vehicle charge point, please email
EVCP@redbridge.gov.uk and include the street name and the postcode of the location in your email. You can also provide a house number or a description of where you would like to request the charge point.
Why did you choose this location?
Electric vehicle charge points locations have been identified in response to:
- Driver requests
- Supply gaps identified through our Electric Vehicle Strategy mapping, and;
- The suitability of the on-street space.
Each location has been reviewed and found suitable for the installation of electric vehicle charge points to meet current and future demand. These locations are determined by:
- Highways Engineers
- Street Lighting Engineers, and;
- The Parking Design team.
How long can drivers park in electric vehicle only bays? Do they have to be charging their vehicle in order to park there?
Generally, drivers do not have a maximum stay time limit, but must have their vehicle connected to a charge point and be charging.
In the case of EV charging points that are near stations, the maximum stay is four hours with a no return time, suitable to the specific location.
Where there is an existing Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) in force, only those CPZ or visitor permit holders will be eligible to use those bays.
What types of chargers are the Council installing on-street?
UBER: UBER has provided grant funding to Redbridge Council for up to 174 “fast” chargers with up to 22 kWh charging capacity across 87 locations. These chargers will have dedicated parking bays solely for electric vehicle charging purposes.
On-street Residential Charge Point Scheme (ORCS): OZEV has provided grant funding to Redbridge Council for up to 310 electric vehicle charge points. These are “slow” chargers (up to 7kWh) and are attached to existing lamp columns or on kerbside bollards located near to lamp columns. These chargers do not have dedicated parking bays, meaning that existing parking restrictions will apply, and both electric and non-electric vehicles can both park there.
Why are electric vehicle only bays necessary?
Electric vehicle only bays are currently installed next to our fast, rapid and ultra-rapid chargers. This is to ensure that electric vehicle drivers can access a charge point when needed and to prevent vehicles that are not currently using the charge point from blocking access.
According to the Transport for London (TfL) “Travel Demand Survey”, an estimated 67% of Redbridge households have access to off-street parking and there are 29,453 vehicles in Redbridge parked on-street. Redbridge is predicted to have approximately 131,000 electric cars, 4,800 electric taxis and private hire vehicles, and 10,000 electric vans by 2035. As the number of electric vehicles on Redbridge's roads increases over time, the number of public, on-street charge points will also need to increase, in order to meet the demand for charge points. These on-street electric vehicle charge points are being provided for residents, visitors and businesses that do not have access to off-street parking. They therefore require to be able to charge their vehicles at the kerb side close to their properties.
New cars and vans powered wholly by petrol and diesel will no longer be sold in the UK during the 2030s, which will increase the requirement for on-street electric vehicle charging. As greater numbers of electric vehicles are purchased and used across the borough, the requirements for parking spaces with charging will be met, providing the opportunity to park and charge vehicles.
What about pressure on residential parking?
Currently the Council has a mix of parking restrictions in place across the borough, including for electric vehicle charge points. Some parking bays are dedicated solely for the use of electric vehicles, whereas others can be used by both electric vehicle and non-electric vehicles in line with local parking restrictions. Where possible, electric vehicle only bays have been situated away from property frontages.
In taking a mixed approach to the parking restrictions for electric vehicle charge points, the Council aims to minimise additional parking pressure, whilst also meeting the growing demand for electric vehicle charge points. It will assess electric vehicle charge point usage to determine whether more electric vehicle dedicated bays are needed at electric vehicle charge points.
Contact
If you have any all-electric vehicle or electric vehicle charge point questions, please email EVCP@redbridge.gov.uk.
Electric vehicles
