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EVinfrastructure•co•uk

Putting you in charge of charging

The Northern Ireland Executive and EVI

Of the four nations in the UK, Northern Ireland is the only one not to have a scheme currently running where local authorities set up contracts with chargepoint operators to improve public charging provision.

On the other hand, it is the only nation with a nationwide pavement channel trial.

Contents

Funding public chargepoints

There are no public chargepoint schemes specific to Northern Ireland.

However, Northern Irish authorities have claimed funding under the UK Government's On-Street Charging Scheme. In 2022, an nine-council consortium led by Derry and Strabane City Council was awarded £1,348,370 in ORCS funding, which the Northern Irish Department for Infrastructure boosted with a further £500,000. In November 2025, Weev were announced as the chargepoint operator for the scheme, which aims to deliver over 250 public chargepoints.

Grants for home chargers

There are no grants for home chargers specific to Northern Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Executive directs residents to UK Government schemes, on which we have a page here.

The Department for Infrastructure as highway authority

In Northern Ireland, the Deparment for Infrastructure is highway authority across the country.

Pavement channels

In September 2025, the Department for Infrastructure announced a trial of pavement channels across Northern Ireland.

To participate in the pilot, email TDU@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk. While public information on the trial is scarce, the DfI has published this internal guidance for staff dealing with requests for a Street Works Licence for a pavement channel. This can be read as instructions for the process in Northern Ireland.

Trailing cables

The DfI is also trialling use of a temporary cable protector. Details are at the same link as pavement channels, above.

Legislation

Planning

The Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 is the principal planning legislation in Northern Ireland.

The legislation does not mention electric vehicles by name, and we are continuing to investigate whether planning permission is necessary for home chargers in Northern Ireland.

Highway Law

The Roads (Northern Ireland) Order 1993 applies in Northern Ireland.

In particular, it is illegal to trail cables over the footway (except under the DfI pilot discussed above):

The Roads (Northern Ireland) Order 1993, Part VII Article 73: Placing of rails, beams, cables, arches, etc. over a road

  1. Subject to paragraph (2), any person who fixes or places any overhead beam, rail, arch, pipe, cable, wire or other similar apparatus over, along or across any road shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 2 on the standard scale.
  2. Paragraph (1) does not apply to anything done—
    1. with the consent of the Department;
    2. in relation to a road which is not a protected street, by—
      1. a statutory undertaker in the exercise of a statutory power; or
      2. the operator of an electronic communications code network in pursuance of any right conferred by or in accordance with the electronic communications code; or
      3. the holder of a licence under Article 10(1) of the Electricity Order in pursuance of any right conferred by or in accordance with Schedule 4 to that Order;
    3. in relation to a road which is a protected street, with the consent of the Department under Article 21(1) of the Street Works Order or by virtue of Article 21(2) of that Order; or
    4. in pursuance of a street works licence.
[A further 12 paragraphs follow]

Street works law

The Street Works (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 applies in Northern Ireland.

Chargepoint operators must obtain a Street Works Licence under Section 11 of the Order to install public chargepoints on the public highway.

The Electric Vehicle Association Northern Ireland

Independent of the Northern Ireland Executive and the UK Government, Northern Ireland has a particularly strong association for EV drivers and potential converts. The EVANI website is here.