Plans are being put forward by BCP Council to reduce roadwork disruption across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole’s busiest roads.
BCP Council is consulting on a Local Lane Rental Scheme that would encourage utility companies and contractors, including its own works teams, to plan work more effectively so that less time is needed to complete them and that more work is carried out at quieter times.
Government-endorsed Lane Rental Schemes allow a highway authority (a council) to charge up to £2,500 a day for works on its busiest roads – the daily rate varies depending on the type of work, when they will be carried out, and the disruption it is expected to cause.
Higher rates are charged at busier times– incentivising roadworks to be planned at off-peak times and to be carried out more efficiently. The income received is ringfenced to fund the operation of the scheme and any surplus is re-invested in measures including proposals that further reduce roadwork disruption.
To implement a lane rental scheme the council would need to apply to the Secretary of State for Transport. Any submission as a part of the process requires the council to have consulted with residents and key stakeholders who are encouraged to have their say before midnight on Sunday 1 February 2026.
Cllr Andy Hadley, whose portfolio includes highways for BCP Council, said:
“It is our responsibility to keep traffic moving and reduce inconvenience to residents and road users. We know there is never an ideal time for roadworks, but they are necessary to maintain and improve the public infrastructure that are essential to our communities.
“These proposals will incentivise contractors to schedule works at quieter times of the day and take less time to complete them: reducing disruption across our busiest routes.
“We know lane rental has been a success where it is already in place – boosting local businesses by reducing congestion.”
Lane Rental Schemes have already been introduced at a handful of local authorities and have resulted in reduced congestion and shorter duration of roadworks.
In the first 16 months of the scheme being in operation in West Sussex it has:
- reduced the time taken for roadworks by a combined 3,083 days
- seen the length of time taken for utility roadworks shortened by 32.48%
No more than 10% of the road network can be designated for inclusion in a Local Lane Rental Scheme. This means that the roads proposed for inclusion are determined by a combination of assessing the volume of traffic, number of bus routes, and average number of road-works along them.
There is a natural flexibility built into schemes and, if an application is submitted and approved, the Council would be permitted to make minor variations of up to 3% per year to adjust which roads would be subject to lane rental charges. This allows the Council to ensure that the scheme is effectively targeted, in line with community feedback and changing traffic flows.
A map of the proposed area can be found here: BCP Lane Rental Network Review
The consultation will close at midnight on Sunday 1 February 2026. After analysing the consultation feedback, the council will decide whether to apply to the Secretary of State for permission to operate a lane rental scheme.
(Picture: Yay Images)
