Utilities digging up Havering's 100 busiest road sections at rush hour will pay £1,000 to £2,500 a day. Here are the roads, the hours and what the money funds.
Utility companies and contractors will soon pay up to £2,500 a day to dig up Havering’s busiest roads at rush hour. The council’s Cabinet approved a lane rental scheme on Wednesday 14 October.
The aim is to push roadworks out of the morning and evening peaks, and to get them finished faster. Gas, water and telecoms firms pay. So does the council when its own highway works fall inside the charging hours.
The council announced the decision on 16 October. The figures below come from the Cabinet report and its list of roads.
The charges
Each road in the scheme sits in one of three bands, based on traffic and bus numbers:
| Band | Charge per day |
|---|---|
| High | £2,500 |
| Medium | £1,500 |
| Low | £1,000 |
Charges apply only from 7am to 10am and 3pm to 7pm. Work outside those hours costs nothing extra.
There is no charge for:
- the first 24 hours of a genuine emergency, such as a burst main
- work confined to a verge, with no effect on the road, cycle track or pavement
- some pavement work that does not involve digging
- replacing poles, lamp columns or signs
- diversionary works
Which roads are covered
The scheme covers 100 road sections on 88 named roads. That is 11.9% of the borough’s road network, but it is the part carrying the main traffic and bus routes.
The council’s map puts the top £2,500 band around Romford town centre and on a route running east from it. Most other roads in the scheme are in the medium or low bands.
Roads on the list include:
- in Romford: the ring road (St Edwards Way, Mercury Gardens, Oldchurch Road, Waterloo Road), North Street, South Street, Main Road, London Road and Victoria Road
- in Hornchurch: Hornchurch Road, Station Lane, Butts Green Road and Hacton Lane
- in Upminster: St Mary’s Lane and Corbets Tey Road
- in Harold Hill and Collier Row: Gooshays Drive, Straight Road, Collier Row Lane and Chase Cross Road
- in Rainham and Elm Park: Ferry Lane, New Road, Upminster Road South and Elm Park Avenue
The full list is in the council’s Appendix A. The A12 and A127 are not on it, because Transport for London runs those roads. TfL has run its own lane rental scheme since 2012.
Where the money goes
The council expects charges to raise between £1m and £1.42m a year. The report stresses these forecasts “are not guaranteed”. It assumes firms will change their habits and avoid paying.
Of the £1.42m top estimate:
- about £978,000 would come from utility companies
- about £442,000 would come from highway authorities, including the council’s own works
Running the scheme would cost around £300,000 a year, including three new staff posts. Half of what is left can go on highway maintenance and pothole repairs. The other half is for bids from utilities and the council for work that cuts roadworks disruption.
Who was asked
Havering consulted on the scheme in August and September 2025. The consultation report records four responses from organisations: three utility companies and the Greater London Authority. A public consultation ran alongside it and drew 11 comments in total.
The Secretary of State for Transport approved the scheme in June 2026.
Councillor Alex Sibley, Cabinet Member for Highways, said residents tell the council congestion and disruption “are among the biggest frustrations” of driving in the borough.
When it starts
No start date has been set yet.
- 21 October: deadline for councillors to call in the Cabinet decision.
- 22 October: the decision comes into force if it is not called in.
- The scheme itself then needs a legal order. The council has also promised works firms 12 weeks’ notice before charging begins, according to the consultation report.
What it means for you
If you drive or catch a bus on Havering’s main roads, the idea is fewer lane closures in the morning and evening rush. Expect more work to move into the middle of the day, the evening or overnight instead.
If you live on one of the listed roads, that could mean more evening or night work outside your home.
For this week’s closures, see our Romford roadworks and travel page.
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