Bishop’s Gate by Meyer Homes was the first in London to offer every home an EV charging point
(Picture: Meyer Homes)London’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) is to be expanded across the entirety of the capital by the end of 2022, in a move that is hoped to encourage more Londoners to trade in their air-polluting, fossil fuel cars for a ‘cleaner’ alternative.
Drivers of the worst offending vehicles – most diesel models more than seven years old and most petrol models more than 16 years old – will soon have to pay £12.50 a day to drive anywhere in Greater London, plus the £15 congestion charge when entering the central zone.
Mayor Sadiq Khan’s long-term aim is to replace both Ulez and the congestion charge with a ‘pay per mile’ charge that will vary according to the distance a road user travels and how much pollution they create.
Clearly, the future is electric, but hybrid and fully electric cars require special electric vehicle (EV) charging points that most current UK homes lack.
There are just over 7,000 charging points within the M25 but these are also unequally spread across the capital, with the richest boroughs, including Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea, having the highest ratio of charging points per person.
How is the housing sector preparing for increasing demand for EV charging points?
While some developers are more environmentally minded than others, the industry’s hand is now being forced by the Government.
Under the London Plan, new housing developments must currently provide at least 20 per cent of parking bays with EV charging points and a further 20 per cent with the cable routes to add them in the future.
But from this summer, all new homes “with associated parking within the site boundary” and all new housing developments with more than 10 parking spaces, such as blocks of flats, will be legally required to include ‘at least one EV charging point per dwelling’, with cable routes in every other space.
This new rule will not only apply to developers, but also to self-builders planning to include on-site parking. An exemption will apply when the installation of an EV charging point would ramp up grid connection costs by more than £3,600.
The idea is to force the future-proofing of homes ahead of the planned 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles.
The Government explained its decision when announcing the new policy at the end of 2021, with a November press release reading: “With the majority of charging happening at home, this will mean people can buy new properties already ready for an electric vehicle future.”
So which London developers are already delivering or planning to deliver EV charging points?
Bishop’s Gate (Meyer Homes), Fulham
Back in 2018, Meyer Homes became the first London developer to offer every home an EV charging point at its Bishop’s Gate project in Fulham.
Its 44 flats and 10 townhouses in a gated mews all come with their own capability and are now complete and ready to move into.
White City Living (St James), White City
This west London development will equip every one of its 586 parking spaces with an EV charging point.
More than 2,300 new homes are planned, meaning roughly a quarter of its residents will be able to make use of the facility. Studios at the scheme, near White City and Wood Lane Tube stations, are available now, priced from £690,000.
The Brentford Project (Ballymore), Brentford
Set to breathe fresh life into Brentford’s town centre, this 876-home waterfront scheme will offer a selection of parking spots with EV charging points in situ, with the remainder all equipped for future connectivity.
Priced from £445,000 for a one-bed suite, the first apartments are expected to be ready by winter 2022.
King’s Road Park (St William), Fulham
Over 1,800 new homes are set to be built on a former industrial site in Fulham, and 20 per cent of the parking spaces will include EV charging points.
Every other bay will be equipped for future connectivity. There are also plans for six acres of parkland and wifi-enabled outdoor workspaces.
With homes priced from £700,000, completion is slated for July.
