Three more councils joining crackdown on roadworks congestion

Surrey’s initiative to ease the pain of congestion is set to stretch 130 miles once three councils join.

As Bracknell Forest prepares to join the roadworks permit scheme launched by Surrey and East Sussex county councils, West Berkshire and Wokingham are just waiting for their applications to be rubber-stamped.

Once all three are on board, the scheme will stretch more than 130 miles from Lambourn in the west to Rye on the Sussex coast. The scheme’s expansion comes as the Government announced future plans to make it easier for local authorities to control roadworks.

Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, John Furey, said: “We took control of approving roadworks because the traffic jams they can cause are incredibly frustrating for motorists and cost our businesses money, so it’s great news that three more councils are coming on board.”