adiq Khan faces a legal battle over the extension of the Ultra Low Admission Zone as London’s “doughnut boroughs” rioted against the plan.
The mayor’s flagship policy to clean up toxic air is being challenged by city councils around the capital and will be added to the zone from August 29.
Under the scheme, drivers of older or more polluting cars must pay £12.50 per day to use their vehicles.
But Bromley council leader Colin Smith said his council had worked with other Tory-run councils Bexley, Harrow and Hillingdon to look into “the legal basis” of the plan.
They were looking at how best to serve the mayor’s office with an official letter “seeking more information to demonstrate the legality of the decision.”
Harrow, Hillingdon, Croydon, Sutton, Bromley, Bexley, Havering and Kingston have all indicated their willingness to fight Town Hall over the Ulez.
City Hall immediately hit back, insisting the mayor is “committed to doing everything he can to build a greener, safer London for everyone”.
Air Supply: The Ulez Expands Over Greater London on August 29, 2023
Mr Khan said he was “confident” the expansion would go ahead on August 29.
He said it was a “critical step” in tackling the “triple challenges” of air pollution, climate change and traffic congestion.
“We cannot delay. The lives of Londoners depend on urgent action to clear the air,” he told the mayor’s Question Time.
Expanding the scheme to the suburbs would require installing 2,750 enforcement cameras that read license plates to monitor non-compliant vehicles.
Sutton and Harrow confirmed this week that they will refuse to sign the “section 8” agreements to allow TfL to install the cameras on council-supervised roads, which could delay the rollout.
Others are pushing for more time to allow all residents to upgrade their cars to comply, arguing that the suburbs have better air quality than some areas of central London added to the Ulez in 2019 .
Kingston and Surbiton MP Sir Ed Davey said: “Cruising Ulez without a proper car scrapping scheme or public transport investment is frankly reckless, especially in the midst of a cost of living crisis.
“I am particularly concerned about people who are already strapped for cash and many older and frail people who will find it very difficult to change cars.
“The rationale for delays in resolving such issues is overwhelming.”
The mayor is providing £110 million in funding for a new demolition scheme for Londoners with certain means tested benefits, disability benefits and registered micro-enterprises, sole traders and charities.
Havering’s independent council said it was working with other boroughs to challenge the plan.
Leader Ray Morgon said: “We have met with TfL [and] are currently in contact with other London councils opposed to the Ulez extension to understand specifically how they intend to block or challenge the mayor’s decision, along with conducting our own research. ”
Croydon Mayor Jason Perry said the Town Hall’s integrated impact assessment “concludes that the air quality improvements in Croydon from the Ulez extension are very small”.
“The Council has submitted a detailed reply to the TfL consultation arguing against enlargement,” he added.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yesterday urged the mayor to “properly reconsider” the plans in response to a question from Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner MP David Simmonds.
Worker-run town halls in the capital’s suburbs are more enthusiastic about the plan.
But several Tory parliamentary seats in the affected areas, including the seat of Chipping Barnet, Finchley and Boris Johnson in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, are key Labor targets in the next election.
Sources told the Standard that Mr Khan is likely to come under pressure from MPs and candidates over the extension ahead of the next general election.
The worker-run Enfield council declined to comment, but admitted it had signed the Section 8 agreement authorizing TfL to work on its road network.
Waltham Forest deputy leader Clyde Loakes said City Hall had “long argued that the Ulez should encompass all of London”.
Alan Schneiderman, chair of Barnet Council’s environment and climate change committee, said: “Poor air quality is a major threat to public health.
“The mayor’s decision to expand the Ulez across London will help combat this.”
Conservatives at City Hall have accused Mr Khan of providing “false and misleading” information about the expansion plans.
They claim city hall officials tried to “manipulate” the consultation process to show residents were more for the Ulez than they actually were.
City Hall said the suggestion is “simply untrue.”
Asked during the mayor’s question time whether TfL would use its “reserve powers” to impose cameras on the boroughs, Mr Khan said: “TfL will explore all avenues open to them. TfL are speaking to all boroughs and I hope it will lead to a solution.
He said Bromley had the highest number of premature deaths from air pollution – 204 – followed by 162 in Bexley, 105 in Hillingdon and 118 in Harrow.
A spokesman for the mayor added: “Every year around 4,000 Londoners die prematurely due to the toxic air in our city, with the highest number of deaths from air pollution occurring in the suburbs of London.
“The Mayor is committed to doing everything he can to build a greener and safer London for everyone.
“He has listened to Londoners throughout this process and that is why he has announced the biggest demolition plan to date.”
Comments are closed.