Roadworks on busy roads at rush hour could cost firms up to £2,500 a day

Utility companies that dig up Brighton & Hove’s busiest roads at the busiest times of day could soon pay up to £2,500 a day for it. The council plans to send its lane rental scheme to the Secretary of State for Transport this month and, if it is approved, start it as early as spring 2027.

The council gets around 20,000 permit applications a year for work on the roads, from gas, water, electricity and telecoms companies as well as its own teams and contractors. At the moment, the council says, the most a company can be charged for breaching permit conditions is £120 a day.

Lane rental charges by the day for works that take up the most traffic-sensitive streets at peak times. Under Department for Transport guidance it can cover only the busiest 10% of the network. The idea is that firms finish sooner, coordinate their work and dig outside the rush hour when they can.

Kent and London already run schemes. The council says emergency roadworks in the city take around 20 days on average, against two to five days in places with lane rental.

Councillor Trevor Muten, cabinet member for transport and city infrastructure, said: “Roadworks are one of the biggest causes of frustration for residents and can have a significant impact on local businesses and journeys across the city.”

He said the scheme would encourage companies “to work more efficiently, coordinate better with one another and complete works more quickly”.

Half of the income after expenses has to go on highway maintenance. The rest goes into a ring-fenced fund for projects that cut the disruption caused by street works. A February report estimated income of £1.1m to £1.6m a year, with running costs of around £0.36m.

Cabinet agreed in February 2026 to apply for the powers. A development group of industry volunteers has helped design the scheme, and the formal consultation has taken place. When cabinet meets at 10.30am on Thursday 12 November at Hove Town Hall, it gets an update on lane rental but makes no decision on it. The final say is the Secretary of State’s. Companies must get 12 weeks’ notice before it starts, and there will be a trial period first.

The same meeting will be asked to approve cameras to enforce existing banned turns and restrictions at five places:

• Carden Avenue onto Carden Crescent (one-way street)
• London Road left onto New England Road
• Ditchling Road left onto Baker Street
• West Street right onto Rottingdean High Street
• Ditchling Road into Francis Street (no motor vehicles except for access)

A consultation drew 704 responses: 403 in favour, 253 against and 48 neutral, with a majority in favour at each site. The council’s policy includes a warning period before penalties are issued.