A London council has vowed to continue its fight to delay the expansion of the capital’s ultra low emission zone (ULEZ).
The London Borough of Sutton has called on London mayor Sadiq Khan to delay the planned rollout across all London boroughs, which is currently scheduled for 29 August.
The council has refused to enter into a Section 8 agreement under the Highways Act 1980, which would enable Transport for London to implement the infrastructure required to deliver the ULEZ scheme on its highway network.
A number of other outer London boroughs have opposed the expansion, including Hillingdon, Bexley and Bromley, while Harrow Council has also reportedly said it will not allow the necessary cameras in its area.
At a council meeting on Monday (16 January), Sutton council leader Ruth Dombey said the Council would continue to seek to delay the rollout of the scheme, and that by not signing the Section 8 agreement, ‘we are sending a clear message to the mayor that he needs to reconsider’.
She said: ‘Unlike the introduction of the ULEZ in Central London, the cross-boundary issues from Greater London into the Home Counties also need to be considered. Currently, the exemptions, grace period and scrappage scheme do not apply to those outside of London. This will have implications for residents in our borough if people choose not to travel into Sutton to do business, shopping and to visit friends and family.
‘We have been clear with the mayor all along that any expansion of the ULEZ must be accompanied by significant investment in public transport; a fair and comprehensive scrappage scheme and an extension of the planned implementation date. Until that happens, we will not support the scheme.’
A spokesperson for Mr Khan said he has been clear that the decision to expand the ULEZ London-wide ‘was not easy’, but was necessary to reduce the capital’s toxic air pollution, tackle the climate emergency and cut congestion.
The spokesperson ‘Around 4,000 Londoners die prematurely each year due to the toxic air in our city with the greatest number of deaths attributable to air pollution in London’s outer boroughs.
‘Data collated by Imperial College London reveals that as many as 118 deaths are attributable to toxic air in Sutton each year – this is unacceptable. The mayor is committed to doing all he can to build a greener, safer London for everyone.
'The mayor has listened to Londoners throughout this process, which is why he’s announced the biggest scrappage scheme yet - £110m - to help the Londoners who need it most, including charities, low income and disabled Londoners, micro-businesses and sole traders.’
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