Council leader issues Ulez warning to London mayor

The leader of Kent County Council has called for the reversal of the expansion of London’s Ulez

The leader of Kent County Council (KCC) has written to the Mayor of London formally calling for the reversal of the expansion of London's ultra-low emission zone (Ulez).

Roger Gough said Sadiq Khan’s “continuing refusal” to consider the implications of his proposals to expand the zone to the border of Kent will have "significant consequences" for many of the county's residents.

He threatened "legal action pending the outcome of the ongoing judicial review" if the expansion plans are not "shelved".

A spokesman for the London mayor said the expansion of Ulez was vital to tackle pollution.

From 29 August, when the Ulez is set to be expanded to cover the whole of London, drivers of non-compliant vehicles must pay a daily charge of £12.50 to drive within the zone.

The new Ulez will border several areas of Surrey and Kent.

The zone will be expanded in an attempt to reduce pollution

In the letter, Mr Gough wrote: “The failure to take properly into account and ensure mitigation will have significant consequences for a number of Kent residents.

“They include people utilising, visiting or working within the health and education sectors, those on low paid jobs and those for whom your scheme falls in the very short distance to visit elderly relatives, parents or children.

“It is particularly disappointing to note the impact of the delivery plan on residents with protected characteristics and the failure to properly plan and mitigate for this.

“All this will also come at the time of the biggest squeeze on living standards in decades.

“I formally call on you to reverse your decision.”

Mr Gough said KCC will also continue to block Ulez warning signs from being placed on its infrastructure.

The mayor’s spokesperson said the decision to expand Ulez was “not an easy one, but necessary to tackle toxic air pollution".

“The Ulez is a very targeted scheme – nine out of 10 cars seen driving in outer London are already Ulez compliant and will not have to pay the charge," the spokesperson said.

“Sadiq is committed to the expansion but is always listening and is happy to look at any new ideas for ways to mitigate the impact of expanding the Ulez on Londoners while still tackling air quality and the climate crisis.”