H&F Council Introduces New Rules to Cut Roadworks
Aiming to ease congestion on busy routes at peak times
Roadworks near the Goldhawk Road . Picture: H&F Council
October 12, 2026
Hammersmith & Fulham Council has introduced new rules designed to reduce roadworks on the borough’s busiest roads during peak travel hours. The changes, which came into force on Monday 5 October, require utility companies and contractors to avoid carrying out works on main traffic routes at the busiest times of day.
The scheme operates by charging companies when they occupy key roads during peak periods, creating a financial incentive to work more efficiently and to schedule disruptive works outside the hours when traffic is heaviest. The Council says the aim is not simply to penalise companies, but to encourage smarter planning that reduces lane closures, diversions and the knock-on congestion that affects thousands of people.
Money raised through the scheme will be reinvested directly into improving the borough’s road network — including pothole repairs and new traffic-reduction technology — creating a feedback loop intended to improve long-term road conditions.
Cllr Nicole Trehy, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Travel, said the new rules respond to frustrations voiced repeatedly by residents. “We know that local people are fed up with seeing road closures and congestion because of works happening on our busiest roads during our busiest times,” she said. “Our new scheme will penalise utility companies and contractors who hold up traffic at peak times — for longer than absolutely necessary. We’ll be encouraging them to work smarter and more efficiently to avoid this. Residents and businesses shouldn’t have to spend so much time in traffic. Instead, we want a safer environment for walking and cycling to and from schools and workplaces.”
H&F’s new rules form part of a wider shift across London. Transport for London has operated a similar “lane rental” scheme on around 70% of its roads since 2012, and most London boroughs have since adopted comparable approaches. By charging companies for occupying road space at the busiest times, councils encourage them to minimise disruption, coordinate works more effectively, and complete repairs more quickly.
The schemes were introduced after years of rising frustration about repeated roadworks, often by multiple companies working on the same stretch of road within short periods. Without coordination, these works can cause extended congestion, increase pollution, and create unsafe conditions for pedestrians and cyclists navigating narrowed pavements and temporary crossings.
Lane-rental schemes have been shown to reduce the duration of works, improve collaboration between utilities, and cut the number of peak-time closures. They also help councils plan more effectively, as companies must give clearer notice of their intended works.
The Council says the new rules should lead to fewer daytime closures on major roads, clearer pavements and safer crossing points. While roadworks will still take place — and some will inevitably be urgent — the expectation is that companies will avoid peak-time disruption wherever possible.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |