Is the Ulez expansion going ahead? High Court ruling revealed
28 July 2023, 10:44
London Mayor Sadiq Khan had his Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) plans contested by five boroughs but what has the High Court ruled?
The Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) has plans to be put into place in boroughs outside of London this August after London Mayor Sadiq Khan revealed his surprising expansion to the scheme.
Already in place in central and inner London, Ulez aims to bring cleaner air to the city by charging drivers with the most polluting vehicles £12.50 a day to use them in certain zones.
However, Mr Khan faced serious backlash from five councils, who launched legal action with the High Court, once he revealed his plans as they claimed the extension was bigger than his legal powers.
The councils, which included Hillingdon, Bexley, Bromley, Harrow and Surrey County Council also added the plan was not fully thought through and there were flaws in parts of the scheme.
So what has the High Court ruled on the Ulez expansion? Is it going ahead or has it been called off? Here's the latest news.
What has the High Court ruled on the Ulez expansion?
The High Court has declared Sadiq Khan's plans to extend Ulez is lawful. This means his idea to expand the scheme to the outer boroughs of London will officially go ahead on August 29th.
The judge, Mr Justice Swift, said he dismissed the council's application for judicial review as Mayor Sadiq Khan did act within his powers when he amended his existing scheme rather than creating a new one for outer boroughs.
He also claimed the schemes and facts for the Ulez expansion had been sufficiently clear.
Why was Sadiq Khan's Ulez expansion plans contested?
Five council's stepped forward to reject Mr Khan's extension plans for a number of reasons. Firstly, they believed the London Mayor was pushing his legal powers.
They also claimed there was not enough detail for such a large expansion. For example, the scrappage scheme, which allows people to swap their vehicles, didn't provide enough information.
Their lawyer had argued he was simply creating a "master charging scheme".
TfL has claimed the new rules for new parts of London will only impact nine out of 10 vehicles as many already comply with Ulez requirements.
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What has Sadiq Khan said?
Upon hearing the High Court ruling, Sadiq Khan has said: "This landmark decision is good news as it means we can proceed with cleaning up the air in outer London".
He continued by adding his decision to expand the scheme was not an easy one and not something he took lightly.
Khan added: "We will do everything possible to address any concerns Londoners may have."
