Ulez ruled out in Reading and Wokingham

Users of non-compliant vehicles in London must pay a £12.50 daily charge

The ruling out of an ultra-low emissions zone (Ulez) in Reading has been branded "a craven act" by its backers.

Reading Borough Council's Labour administration ruled out the scheme which would charge drivers based on their vehicles' pollution rating.

Green councillor David McElroy said the town's air quality was "terrible" while Labour insisted it was "improving".

Wokingham Borough Council also committed not to introduce Ulez.

Low emission zones have been introduced to clean up the air in a number of cities, with the aim of making people healthier and reducing the burden on the NHS.

In London, a £12.50 daily charge applies if the vehicle does not meet certain emission standards.

Its expansion has been a point of contention among both politicians and the public.

• What is Ulez and why is expansion controversial?

• Ulez: One month on and many unanswered questions

Speaking at a discussion of Reading Borough Council's air quality action plan, Mr McElroy highlighted Caversham Road, Oxford Road and London Road as exceeding the World Health Organisation recommended limit for PM10 (particulate matter).

He said: "Ruling out a Ulez ... is a politically craven act that puts perceived electoral advantage ahead of people's life expectancy and our kids' development.

"Communities who get the sweet taste of a Ulez, however suspicious they are initially, don't look back."

John Ennis, lead councillor for climate strategy and transport at the Labour-run council, said there was an 'improving picture' but agreed pollution in some areas of Reading was "not acceptable".

"Everyone in the town deserves to have clean air," he said.

'Unintended consequences'

Meanwhile, in neighbouring Wokingham the borough council said it was "committed not to introduce Ulez charges".

Conservative councillor Pauline Helliar-Symons said the scheme would "put an additional strain on people's finances" and have "unintended consequences".

"We need to commit to doing nothing that would damage our town centres even more," she added.

Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors backed a successful amendment which said the authority "would of course reconsider" Ulez if air quality in an area needed to be improved for the sake of public health.

Labour's Andy Croy said: "The health impacts of dirty air have mostly fallen on the poor and the medically vulnerable.

"It needs to be clear that this council - all of us here - will always put the health of our residents first."

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