Charges planned to curb peak-time roadworks

A proposal to charge utility companies up to £2,500 a day for carrying out roadworks has been submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT).

Hampshire County Council says the lane rental scheme, if approved, could generate around £1.6m annually to be reinvested in maintaining the county's road network, including pothole repairs.

The council wants to implement a daily charge of £2,500 for a full road closure and £1,500 for lane closures or the use of temporary traffic lights.

The plan was signed off by the local authority on 19 January and if the DfT gives the scheme the go-ahead, it could be introduced later this year.

Under national rules, councils can apply lane rental charges only during the busiest traffic periods, with exemptions at other times.

Based on data from recent works, officials estimate the scheme could bring in around £2.8m in gross income each year. Of that, roughly £1.2m would cover administrative costs, leaving £1.6m for road maintenance.

The council said the primary aim was not to raise revenue but to encourage faster completion of works and to deter companies from scheduling disruptive activity at peak times.

Approving the plans, Councillor Lulu Bowerman, the cabinet member for highways and public transport, said she was "really pleased to see it coming forward", adding that residents regularly experienced congestion caused by roadworks.

"This is about encouraging behavioural change," she said. "The sooner we can bring this in, the better."

Tim Lawton, the council's assistant director, told a committee meeting that officers had "high confidence" the proposal met all national requirements.

During the decision session, Councillor Kirsty North noted that the maximum charges allowed by government had not changed since the scheme became possible in 2012.

She said it would be "fair" to highlight that the council was limited by outdated legislation, adding she hoped the DfT would approve the scheme so the county could "reduce congestion and repair potholes".

An application to run a similar scheme was made by Southampton City Council in 2025.

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