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Oxfordshire County Council is set to introduce a lane rental scheme (LRS) aimed at reducing the length of time roadworks occupy the county’s busiest roads.

The scheme, which was approved by the government in November 2025, will come into force on 5 May and will allow the council to charge organisations up to £2,500 per day for carrying out works on key routes during peak traffic periods.

The move is designed to encourage utility companies and contractors to complete work more quickly or schedule it outside of busy periods to reduce disruption for motorists and residents.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said the scheme would incentivise more efficient working practices.

“It is in everyone’s interests for utility companies to minimise the impact their work has on our highway network, and a lane rental scheme is one way to achieve this,” he said.

“If they know they are going to be charged for the length of time they spend there, it is an incentive to complete the job as swiftly as possible.”

Charges during peak periods

Under the scheme, charges will apply during peak traffic periods, including weekends and bank holidays, although Christmas Day and Boxing Day are exempt.

Emergency safety repairs will also be granted a 48-hour grace period before any charges apply.

The LRS is intended to encourage companies working on the highway to carry out work during off-peak hours, make greater use of innovative construction techniques, and coordinate projects with other organisations so that costs can be shared.

Funding for highway improvements

Any surplus revenue generated by the scheme will be reinvested into managing and improving the county’s highway network.

Oxfordshire County Council already operates a permit scheme for road and street works, introduced in 2020, which handles around 30,000 requests each year. The permit system allows the council to coordinate and monitor roadworks to reduce disruption.

However, the permit scheme only enables the council to recover administrative costs, whereas the new lane rental scheme will allow it to apply specific charges for works carried out on the busiest roads at the busiest times.

Details of the roads included in the scheme have been published on the council’s website ahead of its launch.