Lane rental scheme
Lane rental allows a highway authority to charge up to £2,500 per day for works on the busiest roads at the busiest times
Hampshire County Council is developing a lane rental scheme aimed at reducing traffic disruption by charging works promoters a daily fee to undertake works on the public highway. The fees would apply to all works undertaken and would encourage works to be completed as quickly as possible, or rescheduled to avoid the peak traffic periods. Such a scheme would apply to the most strategic roads within Hampshire.
Updates on the progress of the development and implementation of the scheme of the scheme will be posted on this page.
On Monday 23 June, the County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Passenger Transport, Councillor Lulu Bowerman, reviewed detailed proposals for the introduction of a lane rental scheme which would charge a daily fee for the duration of roadworks, including any delay, on more than 550 miles of road – or roughly 10 per cent - of Hampshire’s roads. If approved by the Department for Transport (DfT), the scheme could be introduced in spring 2026.
Details of the initial proposal and the 23 June decision
Further information on the background and legislation of lane rental schemes (GOV.UK)
Next steps and timescales
Hampshire County Council ran a stakeholder consultation on a proposed Lane Rental Scheme between Monday 21 July and Friday 29 August 2025.
Responses to the consultation have been reviewed and considered in detail, and, where necessary, changes have been made to the various elements of scheme. A separate consultation summary document has been produced that describes the review of the consultation and outlines changes considered.
A final scheme for Hampshire was considered and approved by the County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Passenger Transport at a Decision Day in early 2026. This revised scheme was submitted to the DfT in March for approval.
The County Council is committed to implementing a Lane Rental Scheme as soon as possible, with the aim of doing so during 2026. However, the exact timeline is subject to approval and confirmation from the Department for Transport.
For information purposes, the documents that formed the now completed consultation remain available alongside the consultation summary document.