Cutting ‘Utility Company-Created’ Congestion (England)

The options for the future of a scheme that has significantly reduced the congestion caused by utility company road works during trials in London and Kent by charging the companies by the hour to carry out works on selected routes – so called ‘lane rental’ – are spelled out in a Dept for Transport consultation.

Under the trial scheme, the utility companies can avoid the charges by carrying out work during evenings or weekends or co-ordinating their plans to reduce the number of times roads are dug up.

In London, utility companies have worked together more than 600 times since the trials began, compared with just 100 times previously while, in London and Kent combined, congestion caused by utility works has fallen by more than 50%.

Currently, the 2.5m roadworks carried out annually cost the country £4bn and most authorities use permit schemes to monitor them. The Dept for Transport points out that giving them the option of land rental will also help support the national roll out of broadband fibre.

‘Future of lane rental schemes for roadworks’* seeks views on 4 options

• do nothing, in which case a sunset clause would end the current schemes in March 2019 and no new schemes would be permitted
• retain lane rental in London and Kent only, which would require the removal of the sunset clause
• roll out lane rental to other local authority areas, but only allow them if certain other criteria were met – for example, a permit scheme was in operation
• use permit schemes to deliver the key objectives of lane rental – which are to give authorities stricter control and planning of works on the busiest roads at the busiest times. This option would involve adding a new ‘super permit’ for works on the most congested roads

* The ‘Respond online’ or ‘Complete a response form’ facilities on the document are the simplest ways to send comments to the Dept for Transport.