Havering Council has approved a ‘lane rental scheme’ that it hopes will reduce congestion from roadworks.
Under the new policy, highway companies will pay for each day a road is closed between 7am and 10am, and 3pm and 7pm.
The council says the aim is to “encourage better planning", which will mean less disruption and fewer delays for motorists.
Around 12 per cent of Havering’s road network would be affected.
The scheme was green-lit at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday night (October 14).
Councillor Alex Sibley, cabinet member for highways, said residents frequently complained to the council that roadworks “seem to last forever”.
He said: “A set of temporary traffic lights arrives, starts a family, and settles down before the work is finished.
“The lane rental scheme is designed to encourage utilities companies to get in, get the job and get out again – specifically on our busiest roads and at our busiest times.”
Roads classed high-importance would carry a daily charge of up to £2,500, while companies would be charged £1,500 for medium-importance roads and £1,000 for the lowest, as per traffic-flow data.
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There would be some exceptions – for example, fees will be waived for the first 24 hours of “genuine immediate emergency works”.
Around 100 roads would be affected, according to a report published last week, including several stretches of Main Road, North Street and Hornchurch High Street.
The Emerson Park ward councillor acknowledged some companies may “rush jobs" but he was “confident this will not be the case” as the new administration “will not tolerate mistakes on its road”.
Based on council data from 2022/23, it would cost utility companies £977,500 and highways companies £442,000.
That would levy a total of £1.42million for the town hall, though £200,000 has been earmarked for three new staff roles overseeing the scheme.
The remaining funds would be split between highway maintenance and pothole repairs, and other initiatives aimed at cutting congestion and helping to speed up roadworks.
Havering is not the first London authority to implement such a policy. Last year, the neighbouring Redbridge Council began charging highway companies for similar closures.
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