UK PAS 1899 Solar Carport and Accessible EV Charging Guide

Key Takeaways

• Commercial solar carports paired with EV charging hubs must provide inclusive accessibility under the British Standard PAS 1899.
• Designers must provide wider parking bays, level access routes, low-height screens, and manageable cable handling systems.
• Charging equipment installation is supported by Class E permitted development rights with strict upstand height restrictions.
• Upstands must not exceed 1.6 metres in height from the parking surface, limited to one upstand per parking bay.
• Public charging points are governed by statutory payment accessibility and maintenance availability standards.
• Site operators must fulfill general fire precautions under commercial fire safety legislation.

Inclusive Infrastructure Design: PAS 1899 Guidelines

Solar carport charging installations must eliminate physical barriers for wheelchair users and motorists with mobility impairments:

1. Accessible Bay Sizing: Bays must measure at least 3.6 metres wide (including a 1.2-metre side access hatch) to facilitate vehicle boarding and wheelchair deployment.
2. Cable Management Systems: Heavy charging cables must feature spring-loaded retractor booms preventing cables from trailing across pedestrian walkways.
3. User Interface Height: Card readers, payment terminals, and display touchscreens must be mounted between 0.75m and 1.2m above the ground surface.

Permitted Development: Class D and Class E Standards

Installing charging infrastructure within car parks operates under secondary planning legislation:

• Wall Recharging Rights: Covers The installation, alteration or replacement, within an area lawfully used for off-street parking, of an electrical outlet mounted on a wall for recharging electric vehicles.
• Highway Clearance: Requires that units do not face onto and be within 2 metres of a highway.
• Upstand Permitted Development: Authorizes The installation, alteration or replacement, within an area lawfully used for off-street parking, of an upstand with an electrical outlet mounted on it for recharging electric vehicles.
• Upstand Height Restriction: Mandates that upstands must not exceed 1.6 metres in height from the level of the surface used for the parking of vehicles;.
• Density Regulation: Limits equipment so it does not result in more than 1 upstand being provided for each parking space.
• Reinstatement Duty: Confirms conditions that the development is removed as soon as reasonably practicable; when no longer in use.

Public Charging Regulations under AEV Act 2018

Public commercial charging hubs must fulfill mandatory operational standards:

• Regulatory Powers: Enforces that Regulations may impose requirements on operators of public charging or refuelling points in connection with.
• Transparent Access: Dictates standards for the method of payment or other way by which access to the use of public charging or refuelling points may be obtained;.
• Operational Uptime: Governs the performance, maintenance and availability of public charging or refuelling points;.

Fire Precautions and Building Safety

Managing high-power electrical infrastructure under solar carports requires statutory fire management:

• Employee Welfare: Site managers must take such general fire precautions as will ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of any of his employees; and.
• Premises Protection: Dutyholders must take such general fire precautions as may reasonably be required in the circumstances of the case to ensure that the premises are safe.
• Fire Standards Alignment: Coordinates with Approved Document B (fire safety) volume 1: Dwellings, 2019 edition incorporating 2020, 2022 and 2025 amendments.