Powering Fastned’s UK charging network, site by site

Fastned is a pan-European operator of fast and ultra-rapid EV charging hubs. Founded in the Netherlands in 2012, it built a significant network across the Netherlands and Germany before entering the UK market in 2018. Its guiding belief is that charging infrastructure must come first to give drivers the confidence to switch to electric. The team have advised Fastned UK Limited since 2018 on its UK charging station acquisitions and developments.

Securing a charging hub is not a straightforward property transaction. Each site must be right for the driver, the grid and the planning authority before Fastned commits to it. A lease can only be worthwhile if planning permission is granted, a viable power connection is available at a workable cost, and the ground and environmental conditions support the build.

Fastned also needed to secure sites at pace across a growing UK portfolio, working with a wide range of landowners with differing expectations, and often through its Network Development Team acting as its in-house agents.-

Fastned needed a legal approach that was:
• Protective: it could not be tied to a site that failed on planning, power or ground conditions.
• Consistent: every site needed the same core protections, so it could grow without reinventing its terms each time.
• Commercial: it had to work for landowners too, including on the varied rental structures Fastned offers.

The team have developed, and have continually refined, a bespoke suite of precedent documents for Fastned UK. This is led by an agreement for lease paired with an agreed-form long lease, which can be rolled out across sites of very different sizes and landowner profiles. Callum Leary and Richard Hughes have led the client relationship, assisted by Kieran Rodda.

The agreement for lease is conditional. The lease is only granted once the key hurdles have been cleared, namely planning, power, and environmental and ground suitability, with further site-specific conditions added where needed. A long stop date gives both sides certainty, and Fastned keeps the flexibility to step away where a site can no longer be delivered on economically viable terms.

The lease is built around how charging hubs actually operate. It covers:
• a long term, with tenant break options where agreed;
• rights for the cabling and substations that connect the site to the grid, including underleases to network operators;
• protection if the necessary statutory consents cannot be obtained or maintained;
• flexible rent structures to suit different landowners.

We also bring our experience from the 100+ sites we have now acted on. We know which points landowners typically raise and where they can be resolved quickly. This keeps transactions moving, and the precedents mean each new site starts from a position both sides already understand. This allows Fastned to move quickly from agreed heads of terms to signed documents.

Since the first instruction in 2018, the team have continued to act on Fastned’s charging station portfolio. We acted on over 100 matters for Fastned before moving to Greenwoods.
The consistent framework has helped Fastned grow its UK network with confidence. Planning, power and ground conditions are built into the contractual process, so commitments are only made where sites can be delivered. As Fastned’s network grows, our role has grown with it, from a single site to a portfolio at national scale.

“Richard and Callum are approachable, knowledgeable and responsive. They understand the commercial objectives of the business and provide practical, pragmatic advice that is always clear. Communication is excellent, and they are consistently supportive throughout transactions.”
Shanice Golder, Legal Counsel (UK), Fastned

“We’ve been alongside Fastned since our first instruction in 2018, and reaching our 100th matter together is something I’m really proud of. The sites have changed over the years, but the aim has stayed the same: helping Fastned secure the right locations with confidence, and in a way landowners are comfortable with.”
Callum Leary, Partner