Full Council has asked the Executive to consider a new EV charger policy for council tenants within nine months, replacing today's blanket refusal.

Milton Keynes City Council tenants are currently refused permission to fit an electric vehicle charger at home, whatever their circumstances. Full Council has now voted to ask for that to change.

A motion passed on Wednesday 21 October asks the council’s Executive to consider a revised EV charger policy for all council tenants within nine months. The result is recorded in the council’s printed decisions for the meeting.

What the council does now

The council’s own alterations guidance for tenants says it “currently does not approve requests to install electric vehicle (EV) charging points at council homes”. It says the decision is “based on prioritising resources to ensure homes are safe and affordable to heat”.

Its separate page on charging options for tenants explains that tenants who ask are pointed to the public network instead. Handling installation requests, and what happens when a tenancy ends, would take housing staff time and could leave the council paying to put things right, the page says. It adds that the council will keep the approach under review as technology advances and the public network grows.

What the motion asks for

The motion was tabled by Councillor Amanda Marlow, Conservative councillor for Watling. As passed, it asks the Executive to consider:

  • a revised EV charger policy for all council tenants, brought forward within nine months
  • treating a charge point as a recognised, approvable alteration for tenants whose homes have access to a driveway, where a property survey confirms it is technically feasible
  • a clear approval route for Motability Scheme customers who are council tenants, including disabled tenants and parents or carers of disabled children
  • a full Equality Impact Assessment before the new policy is adopted
  • dealing with some requests sooner, where the home’s electrics do not need changing
  • updating the Tenancy Handbook to match
  • asking the Director of Environment and Property to seek a formal partnership with Motability Operations to deliver home charge points in council properties

The version passed is not the one tabled. The original motion in the agenda pack asked for the new policy within three months. The decision notice gives nine, and adds the line about dealing with simpler requests earlier.

The case the motion made

The motion’s text sets out its argument. It says the blanket refusal does not appear in the Tenancy Handbook. It also says the policy was adopted without a published Equality Impact Assessment and has never been subject to democratic scrutiny.

It points out that Motability customers are entitled to a home charge point installed free by an accredited provider, at no cost to the landlord. And it claims disabled tenants who cannot use public charging easily are “penalised up to £1,200 per year” compared with homeowners charging on cheap overnight electricity. That figure is the motion’s; the council papers do not show how it was worked out.

The council itself says Milton Keynes has the highest number of rapid public chargers per 100,000 residents in the UK. Its tenants’ page put the public network at 956 charging outlets in September 2024.

What happens next

A Full Council motion of this kind asks the Executive to consider a change. It does not change the policy on its own. Until a revised policy is adopted, the tenants’ guidance still says requests will not be approved.

The nine months run from 21 October, which points to a revised policy by about July 2027 if the Executive takes the request up.

What it means for you

  • If you rent from the council and want a home charger, the answer today is still no. Watch for the revised policy, and for a consultation or equality assessment before it is adopted.
  • If you lease a car through the Motability Scheme, the motion asks specifically for an approval route for you. Keep any paperwork from Motability’s installer about whether your home is suitable.
  • If you own your home but have no driveway, the council runs a separate home EV charging channel scheme that carries the cable under the pavement. It costs a £99 survey fee, then £900 to install. Council tenants are told to check with housing services before applying.

Also decided at Wednesday’s meeting

The same decision notice records these other motions:

  • E-scooters: a motion on public safety and operator accountability was lost on a recorded vote. We covered the MP’s survey on the e-scooter trial in September.
  • IVF: passed. It notes that Milton Keynes patients are covered by a policy offering at most one non-full cycle for eligible patients aged 23 to 42, below the three cycles NICE recommends. It asks the Leader to write to the Health Secretary and the city’s three MPs asking for a single national standard.
  • Mobile coverage: passed. The Executive is asked to consider a review of residents’ and businesses’ experience of mobile signal during the 2027/28 council year, and to raise gaps with operators and Ofcom.
  • Bowel cancer in under-40s: passed. The Executive is asked to consider an awareness campaign and to promote Bowel Cancer Awareness Month in April 2027.

Sources