Cheshire East to look at charging utility companies road ‘rent’

That is one possibility the council is looking into to generate much-needed cash and to ensure the companies carry out the work speedily so roads can be re-opened quicker.

The suggestion was put forward by Conservative group leader Janet Clowes when the corporate policy committee was discussing the budget proposals on Thursday.

Cllr Clowes said she had been scouring other council’s budget plans and had come across this in Sussex.

Cllr Janet Clowes (Image: Cheshire East Council)

“The lane rental levy is actually something that we can do now,” she told the committee.

“That is where you can introduce levies on your five to 10 per cent most used roads and you can charge a daily rent to utility companies, in addition to any licences that they have to pay for.

“It doesn't half encourage them to move quickly and efficiently.”

She added: “In my own area,  we have private broadband companies who have been on our roads for months,  and if we were charging them £2,500 a day, which seems to be the going rate in Sussex, we could actually be bringing in important revenue to our highways budget at least.”

She said the scheme would also pay for itself in that the money would also pay the officers who actually implement the scheme.

“I think that’s something we can really look at straight away and bring on this financial year,” she said.

The idea was welcomed by highways committee chair Craig Browne, who said it would be raised with the council’s officers to ensure they weren’t already doing something similar.

Labour councillors also agreed with the idea.

The suggestion came as several councillors were critical of how the budget proposals had been arrived at – saying they had had little input.

This has been a common theme throughout every service committee meeting.

Cllr Jos Saunders (Image: Cheshire East Council)

Cllr Jos Saunders said: “One of the criticisms of the cabinet system was that the relevant cabinet members sat round a table and decided the budget, so when we went to the committee system I was expecting to have input, not just comments, but actual input, maybe in the forms of workshops, etc, into this budget.

“I think, if we had done,  we would have probably have maybe more ideas because there'd be more people involved in the process.”

Cllr Jill Rhodes agreed the process could be better.

“We need to look at the process in the light of the fact we’re no longer a cabinet system but a committee system and that members need more information around the budget setting process and I think that’s a lesson that we can learn,” she said.

She added: “We know we have to, as a council, put forward a balanced budget and we’re going to have to make some very unpopular decisions but I think as a council we have done our best to protect the residents.”

A final decision will be made on the budget proposals at full council on February 22.