A scheme aimed at reducing traffic congestion across County Durham came into force on Monday 19 October.
Durham County Council is the first local authority in the North East, and the first county authority outside of the London area, to introduce a Lane Rental Scheme.
Designed to reduce the impact of roadworks, the scheme allows the council to charge organisations for works carried out on the county's busiest routes and at times when they are most likely to cause disruption.
The charges are expected to encourage those carrying out roadworks to plan them outside peak travel times and to complete them over a shorter period. By reducing disruption on key routes, the scheme is also expected to cut delays for residents, visitors and public transport, as well as limit the impact on businesses.
"The Lane Rental Scheme will help us keep roads open during the busiest periods while still allowing for important infrastructure works to be carried out."
Cllr Tim McGuinness, the council's Cabinet member for rural, farming and transport, said: "The Lane Rental Scheme will help us keep roads open during the busiest periods while still allowing for important infrastructure works to be carried out. It will encourage better planning and coordination between organisations, ensuring traffic continues to move across the county efficiently."
He added that any profits from the scheme will be reinvested in the county's highways, with funding used towards road maintenance, traffic improvement projects and new technology.
How the charges work
The scheme was developed using detailed analysis of traffic patterns and congestion hotspots on the council's Traffic Sensitive Streets network. Charges of up to £2,500 per day may apply on traffic-sensitive roads or during specified peak periods. Organisations can avoid the charges by planning works outside peak times, shortening the length of works or using less disruptive methods.
More information: durham.gov.uk/LaneRentalScheme
Information from Durham County Council.
