The Mayor of London has been told that any signs and cameras for his planned expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) are not permited in the county of Hertfordshire, in the latest council backlash over the scheme.
Tory leader of Hertfordshire County Council, Richard Roberts, sent a letter to Sadiq Khan stating that automatic number plate recognition cameras and signs notifying drivers cannot be erected within the boundary of the county.
He “personally asked” that Mr Khan extend the scrappage scheme to include counties surrounding Greater London if the Ulez expansion goes ahead.
Mr Khan plans to expand the Ulez from August 29 so drivers in outer London will also have to pay a £12.50 daily fee if their car does not meet emissions standards, in a bid to tackle London’s air pollution.
Almost two thirds of the 2,750 Ulez enforcement cameras have been installed in outer London, the Standard revealed on Tuesday, despite widespread vandalism and the opposition of seven boroughs to having cameras erected on local roads.
But Mr Roberts said in the letter, sent on Friday, that his residents in the area are dealing with the “tightest squeeze on their finances in over a decade”, reiterating the councils’ concerns for the expansion of the Ulez.
He said many people with non-compliant cars “cannot afford to upgrade their cars, are not eligible for the scrappage scheme and have no viable public transport alternatives”.
The move comes after several councils surrounding the capital refused to sign an agreement in February allowing Transport for London (TfL) to install street signs and cameras warning drivers they are approaching the clean air zone.
Surrey and Kent councils raised similar objections. All of the local authorities are run by Conservative administrations.
Mr Khan is awaiting the decision of the High Court on whether the Ulez expansion is legal. A judgement is likely this week.
A spokesperson for the Mayor said: “TfL and City Hall are working closely and collaboratively with the local authorities concerned to install the infrastructure needed.
“The Mayor has been clear that while the decision to expand ULEZ was an incredibly difficult one, he could not stand by and do nothing while around 4,000 Londoners die prematurely each year due to air pollution, children are growing up with stunted lungs and thousands of people in our city are developing life-changing illnesses, such as cancer, lung disease, dementia and asthma.
“Nine out of 10 cars seen driving in outer London are compliant and won’t need to pay a penny. For anyone who is affected, help is available including thousands of pounds for people on low incomes, charities, small businesses, disabled Londoners and anyone in receipt of child benefit.
“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.”
It comes after a bruising fall-out from the Uxbridge by-election, in which defeated Labour candidate Danny Beales said the proposed Ulez expansion had “cut us off at the knees”.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said that Labour was “doing something very wrong” if its policies were able to be used by the Tories to lose it votes.
