Lane rental schemes in Leeds, Wakefield and Kirklees will charge utility and telecoms companies up to £2,500 per day for works on designated key routes from later this year, targeting peak‑time occupation of high‑traffic corridors and bus priority links. The three councils have secured Department for Transport approval and adopted a single charging framework and common rules, including simultaneous launch, to simplify permits where works cross authority boundaries. By pushing works into off‑peak windows and encouraging joint trenching, the policy aims to cut congestion‑related emissions and improve bus journey time reliability.

Build UK has published its first benchmarks on cash retentions, showing tier one contractor members withhold an average 2% and pass on 74% of retentions imposed by their clients to their own supply chains, absorbing 26% themselves. Since 2018, average payment times for these contractors have fallen from 45 to 29 days, with invoices paid within 60 days rising from 82% to 96% under the Reporting on Payment Practices and Performance Regulations. The data will act as a baseline as the Commercial Payments Bill, which includes a ban on retention clauses, moves through Parliament.

The Association of Mining and Exploration Companies is urging a “reset” of Victoria’s resources policy after Jaclyn Symes, who previously held the resources portfolio from November 2018 to August 2021, was reappointed as minister under the state’s new government leadership. AMEC is pressing for faster approvals for exploration licences and mining leases, clearer timelines for work plan assessments, and more predictable rehabilitation and environmental bond settings. For geologists and project developers in Victoria, any shift in these regulatory levers will directly affect drilling schedules, feasibility study timing and capital deployment.