West Sussex Lane Rental Scheme Cuts Thousands Of Days Of Roadworks

A scheme designed to cut down disruption from roadworks across West Sussex has already saved residents thousands of days of delays.

West Sussex County Council’s Lane Rental Scheme, launched in December 2022, allows utility companies and contractors to be charged up to £2,500 a day for carrying out works on the county’s busiest roads.

The aim is to encourage them to get the job done quicker and at less disruptive times.

Since it was introduced, the scheme has:

• Cut the length of roadworks by more than 3,000 days – equal to nearly eight and a half years

• Reduced the time taken for utility works by over 32%

• Generated millions of pounds that can be reinvested back into the local road network

The money raised is already funding improvements, including trials of new technology like AI to spot and repair road defects, as well as community road schemes through a dedicated Lane Rental Surplus Fund.

At the moment, 907 roads are covered by the scheme – but the council wants to extend it further, particularly to important rural roads where poorly planned works can cause major problems for local communities.

Cllr Joy Dennis, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said the scheme has been “a great success” and is helping to improve quality of life by reducing disruption, noise and pollution for residents.

She added:

“The cherry on the cake is that the scheme generates extra income we can put straight back into repairing roads and supporting community projects.”