Agenda item

Report of the Director of the Built Environment

The Sub-Committee considered a report of the Director of the Built Environment concerning Lane Rental schemes. The Director of the Built Environment introduced the report which covered the background of lane rental schemes and outlined the advantages and disadvantages of introducing them in the City of London.

The schemes had an intuitively attractive feel but carried notable disbenefits. Guidance from central government had made it clear that lane rental fees would also apply equally to local authority works and works by utilities companies, thus affecting Corporation investment decisions. The Department for Transport (DfT) had limited the extent of the road network covered by Lane Rental to 5%, except for TfL who were considered a special case.

Having engaged with colleagues at other authorities, officers felt there was no great demand to progress the introduction of the schemes, as the significant disbenefits meant the overall benefit was not significant. For example, the schemes incentivised a shift to night-time work which, in turn, created conflicts with residents and incurred costs in managing the complaints process. However, officers would continue to assess the benefits and challenges of Lane Rental, internally and in conjunction with officers at other authorities.

Members were supportive of keeping the matter under review, particularly in conjunction with the aims and objectives of the forthcoming Transport Strategy, and asked for more detail on where payments from local authorities would be directed, what feasibility work had been done, and what percentage of the City of London’s streets the schemes would likely apply to. Members noted that whilst the schemes might result in shorter disruptions to the network, when highway works had been undertaken, reinstatement work needed to be done well, and lane rental schemes risked this work being rushed in order to avoid Lane Rental costs.

In response to queries from Members, the Director of the Built Environment advised the Sub-Committee that payments made under the schemes would be ringfenced and could only be spent on funding anti-congestion initiatives. Officers had engaged with Kent County Council at the outset of their scheme, but had not yet undertaken feasibility work as the requirements of a Lane Rental scheme had made the size of the challenge clear. Officers had found, in the instance of Cadent undertaking work on gas mains on Gracechurch Street, that having to pay a big sum had not incentivised them to complete the work faster.

RESOLVED – That the Streets & Walkways Sub-Committee agree:

a)     That the City work with other highway authorities to establish whether a ‘critical mass’ of Lane Rental streets in Central London can be established (paragraph 12, Option 3);

b)     To keep matters under review in conjunction with the aims & objectives of the forthcoming Transport Strategy; and

c)     That officers continue to identify & promote safe and effective ways of working that help reduce the duration of works on City streets.