A public consultation will be launched around the proposed lane rental scheme aimed at reducing roadworks delays on over 550 miles of Hampshire’s busiest roads during peak times.

The consultations will last between six to twelve weeks, starting in late July 2025..

A lane rental charges a daily fee for the duration of roadworks, including any delay, on more than 550 miles of road – or roughly 10 percent – of Hampshire’s roads.

If approved by the Department for Transport, it could be introduced in spring 2026.

The plan identifies the most important roads and areas where roadworks or streetworks may cause significant delays and traffic disruptions.

The lane rental scheme will only apply to a street that is publicly maintainable by or on behalf of the council.

Charges will depend on the extent of disruption caused by the work. Any extra money earned beyond basic operating costs will be used to fund projects that help reduce the impact of street and road work.

New national laws coming later this year may allow up to 50 per cent of the income generated to be used for routine highway maintenance. This includes everyday repairs, such as fixing potholes.

Charges may only be applied to the most congested and strategically important local roads managed by the highway authority. Under current legislation, the county council is permitted to charge up to £2,500 per day, which is the maximum allowed.

The council estimates that total charges range from £500,000 to £900,000.

To complete the job, an additional 15 inspectors may be required to monitor compliance with work timings and ensure that the scheme discounts are applied correctly.

Across the four years of analysis, from 2021 to 2024, an average of 3,076 planned works and 1,075 unplanned -emergency and urgent- works were undertaken on the proposed disruption charging network.

The projects led to an average of approximately 17,000 days of highway occupation each year. Of this total, 87 per cent affected the flow of vehicular traffic, while 12 per cent resulted in road closures. On average, 20% of the duration of planned work and 34 per cent of unplanned work occurred during peak congestion times.

With the approval, the county council will now undertake a consultation with relevant stakeholders, including utility companies, over the summer.

Final recommendations will then be developed before formal approval is sought from the Department for Transport. The aim is for the scheme to become operational in Spring 2026.

Cllr Kristy North said: “This would be a very positive step to reduce congestion and encourage utility companies to work smarter to liaise with each other to get all the works done in hours, which hopefully, potentially less convenient for them but more convenient for everyone else travelling around on the road network.”