The Environment, Economic Growth and Transport Scrutiny Committee met on Thursday 17 September 2026. The committee considered a feasibility study into a lane rental scheme for Lancashire's roads, reviewed the council's tree management policy, and agreed to establish a task group to review highways maintenance. The committee also agreed its work programme for 2026/27, subject to the inclusion of Resident Parking Schemes as a topic for review.

Lane Rental Scheme

The committee considered the findings of a feasibility study into a lane rental scheme, which could see highway authorities charge up to £2,500 per day for works on busy roads during peak times. The aim is to encourage utility companies and the council to reduce the duration of works, coordinate efforts, and work outside of peak hours. The study suggested that a scheme could reduce works duration by 58% and generate significant economic benefits, estimated between £5 million and £20 million. However, concerns were raised about the limited network coverage (estimated at 10%), the potential for utility companies to pass costs onto consumers, and the complexity of implementation, particularly in light of potential local government reorganisation.

The committee recommended to the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport that, subject to discussions with Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool Councils, a report on the implementation of a lane rental scheme for the Lancashire County Council area be presented to Cabinet in December 2026. They also suggested that Lancashire MPs be contacted to seek support for fast-tracking the application to the Department for Transport, and that the committee receive quarterly progress reports.

Tree Management

The committee reviewed the council's approach to tree management, as outlined in the Tree Management Plan approved in December 2023. The plan aims to provide a strategic approach to managing the council's tree assets, which include tens of thousands of trees on highways, operational properties, and countryside sites. The council has a duty of care to ensure trees are safe, with inspections conducted on a cyclical basis depending on risk.

A key policy change allows for the consideration of replacing trees removed for safety reasons, provided it is the right tree, right species, in the right place. The Treescapes team has been successful in securing significant external funding for tree planting initiatives, resulting in over 88,000 trees planted in recent years. However, funding for highway tree replacement and ongoing management is limited, with current budgets focused on tree safety works, particularly due to the impact of ash dieback.

Members expressed concerns about the cost of planting new trees (£2,000 to £10,000 for substantial highway trees), the lack of dedicated funding for replacement planting, and the impact of trees on accessibility and infrastructure. Recommendations were made to increase the budget for urgent and emergency tree works, introduce a separate budget for lower priority works (including accessibility and drainage issues), and to explore opportunities for national forestry funding. The committee also recognised the value of trees in urban areas for mitigating climate change and providing shade.

Highways Maintenance: Right First Time

It was resolved that a task group be established to review highways maintenance and the right first time approach, subject to advice on political balance rules. This follows concerns raised about the effectiveness of pothole and defect repairs, with the aim of reducing the number of recurring issues. The task group will assess whether the current managed service contract is delivering a more modern, transparent, and accountable highway maintenance regime. The review will also consider pavements and town centre paving, and compare Lancashire's approach with practices elsewhere.

Work Programme 2026/27

The committee agreed its work programme for 2026/27, subject to the inclusion of Resident Parking Schemes as a topic for review. They also noted formal responses from Cabinet Members on previous recommendations concerning Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, Public Rights of Way, Street Lighting, and Gully Cleansing.

Key discussions during the review of the work programme included:

• Public Rights of Way: Further clarification was sought on partnership working with local police regarding vulnerable areas and ongoing data exchange.
• Gully Cleansing: The committee welcomed the supplementary guidance developed to assess reactive gully cleans and suggested an additional point be included regarding gullies on surface water run-off routes to areas with a history of flooding.
• Economic Growth and Infrastructure: Requests were made for future presentations on Lancashire's economic growth and inward-investment opportunities, and updates on strategic development, including rail schemes like Cottam railway station and the Colne–Skipton and Fleetwood–Poulton rail links.
• Residents' Parking Schemes: It was agreed that this topic would be included in the committee's work programme for review, following concerns about capacity and funding issues with existing resident parking teams.
• Waste Strategy and Anaerobic Digestion: A request was made to add this topic to the work programme.

The committee also discussed the M65 motorway's drainage issues, noting the significant cost of repairs (£15 million) and the lack of suitable external funding. The possibility of a toll was raised as a hypothetical discussion point for future consideration.