Lane Rental Officer

Found in zone 6 with good transport links in and out of London, Kingston is a vibrant and diverse university town which creates the rich sense of community shared across the borough and its Residents. Kingston boasts an idyllic riverside location, good shopping and great restaurants, as well as a mix of modern and historic town centre. Kingston has lots of open parklands and cycle routes that help connect the district town centres into an enjoyable place to live and work.

We are passionate about working closely with our residents and vulnerable groups to help them maintain their independence and create a balance between support and independent living.

As a Lane Rental Officer, you are the engine of our network coordination. Working closely with the Lane Rental Coordination Team Lead, you will be on the front line of the Kingston Permit Scheme and Lane Rental Scheme.

• This is a fast-paced, operational role. You won’t just be behind a desk; you will be assessing permit applications, liaising with utility companies, and carrying out site inspections to ensure compliance with legislation like the New Roads and Street Works Act. You will be the point of contact for stakeholders, helping us minimise congestion and ensuring that work on our highway network is coordinated, safe, and delivered to a high standard.
• Operational Coordination: Manage the day-to-day Lane Rental application process, reviewing permits and providing technical advice to works promoters.
• Network Integrity: Proactively identify work clashes and negotiate with utility companies to ensure work is carried out efficiently and safely.
• Site Excellence: Plan and conduct site inspections across the borough, ensuring traffic management is compliant (Chapter
  8) and public safety is maintained.
• Compliance & Reporting: Validate charges, manage records, and support the preparation of funding bids and performance reports.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Act as a key point of contact for the public, Councillors, and emergency services, investigating enquiries and resolving issues professionally.
• System Mastery: Utilize DfT Street Manager and other internal systems to maintain accurate records, invoices, and data evidence.

The Highways and Transport Service at the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames operates as a combined, forward-thinking Shared Service with the London Borough of Sutton. The team manages major development and improvement schemes, maintains existing borough roads, and oversees the design and deployment of local transport policies across both areas. The team splits its focus between daily infrastructure maintenance and sustainable urban planning:

• Street Works & Permitting: The team coordinates all street works using the Department for Transport’s national permitting platform to manage traffic disruption and prevent utility scheduling conflicts.
• Asset Management & Repairs: They actively oversee public highway safety inspections, potholes, structural bridge repairs, and dropped kerb licensing. Notably, the council has integrated cost-effective and faster-curing materials like Elastomac to reopen roads within 30 minutes of surface dressing.
• Sustainable Transport & Healthy Streets: Collaborating with regional groups like the Kingston Cycling Campaign, this section designs active travel routes, handles the rollout of 20mph zones, manages school streets, and hosts statutory Traffic Management Order (TMO) public consultations.

The service has significantly upgraded its traffic management powers by introducing a Lane Rental Scheme.

• Timeline: Following political approval to join Tranche 2 of the London Borough Lane Rental Scheme, Kingston scheduled an initial…