A new scheme aimed at reducing the disruption caused by roadworks will come into force across Oxfordshire this May.
Oxfordshire County Council is introducing a Lane Rental Scheme (LRS) from 05 May, targeting the length of time utility companies and other organisations spend working on the county’s busiest roads.
Utility providers — including water, electricity, gas and broadband firms — along with developers and other companies, frequently carry out works on the highway network. While essential, these interventions often lead to congestion and delays for road users.
The council applied to introduce the scheme in 2023, with approval granted by the government last November. The LRS will allow the authority to charge up to £2,500 per day for works taking place on the most traffic-sensitive routes during peak travel periods. A full list of affected roads is available on the council’s website.
Read more: Oxfordshire approves new scheme to cut disruption from roadworks
Councillor Andrew Gant, Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said:
“It is in everyone’s interests for utility companies to minimise the impact their work has on our highway network, and a lane rental scheme is one way to achieve this.
“If they know they are going to be charged for the length of time they spend there, it is an incentive to complete the job as swiftly as possible. We look forward to being able to implement it and reap the benefits for everyone in Oxfordshire.”
Charges will apply during peak hours, including weekends and bank holidays, with the exception of Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Emergency safety repairs will benefit from a 48-hour grace period before fees apply.
The scheme is designed to encourage organisations to schedule works during off-peak hours wherever possible, complete projects more efficiently, adopt innovative technologies to speed up delivery, and collaborate with other promoters to share costs.
Any surplus funds raised through the scheme will be reinvested into managing and improving the county’s highway network.
Oxfordshire County Council has operated a permit scheme for road and street works since 2020, processing around 30,000 applications each year.
While the permit system will remain in place, it only allows the recovery of administrative costs and does not provide the authority with the power to levy additional charges aimed at discouraging work on the busiest roads at the most congested times.
Importantly, the council’s own roadworks will also be subject to the same charges.
Approximately nine per cent of the county’s highway network will fall within the scheme, selected based on criteria including traffic volumes, pedestrian movements and bus frequency.
Similar lane rental schemes are already in operation in London, Kent, Surrey and West Sussex. Government evaluations have found them effective in reducing the duration of works and limiting congestion on the busiest parts of the road network.
