Kent: Increased fines for over-running roadworks welcomed

An estimated £100m could be raised by the increased fines

A government plan to increase fines on over-running roadworks by utility companies has been welcomed by Kent County Council (KCC).

The proposal aims to reduce congestions caused by roadworks while generating revenue to fix potholes.

The government estimates £100m could be raised from the penalties.

The move has been welcomed by the chairman of KCC's environment and transport cabinet committee, Sean Holden.

Kent roads closed for works increased by more than 200% from 4,833 in 2017-18 to 10,736 in 2022-23, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Mr Holden has been spearheading a campaign to reduce the number of temporary road closures and said they were a "damned nuisance" in Kent.

"There's barely a road somewhere in the county that's not been dug up," Mr Holden said.

The councillor is setting up an official KCC inspectorate to report progress in monitoring works across the county.

The government plan suggests fines of up to £10,000 per day if works run into weekends and bank holidays.

The money could boost active travel by preventing street works from disrupting walking, wheeling and cycling, improving pavements and pedestrian crossings, and making repairs to pavements and cycle lanes.

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