A South London MP has called for the extended Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) boundary to be moved so two areas that “overwhelmingly” border Surrey are excluded.
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said the “unusual geography” of Hook and Chessington, in the Kingston borough, makes the ULEZ expansion “very damaging” to residents and businesses there.
The MP for Kingston and Surbiton has written a letter to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan raising concerns about the impact of the expansion on Hook and Chessington, claiming locals are “hit particularly hard” by the scheme.
He called for the new ULEZ boundary to be moved from the crossroads of Leatherhead Road with Fairoak Lane and Rushett Lane to the A3 at the Hook roundabout, adding this would “leave Hook and Chessington outside the extended ULEZ”.
The ULEZ expanded on August 29 to include all London boroughs, after the High Court ruled it lawful.
Drivers of non-compliant vehicles, that do not meet certain emissions standards, must pay a £12.50 daily charge to drive in the zone.
In the letter, published on August 23, Mr Davey said Hook and Chessington “overwhelmingly border Surrey” as they effectively form a “peninsula – surrounded to a very large degree on the east, west and south by Surrey”.
He said the impact of the expansion on residents will be “disproportionate” as they are “surrounded by towns and villages outside the ULEZ”.
He wrote that local businesses have “staff and customers visiting them from the many sides of Surrey that border them and fear the impact will be greater here than anywhere else in London”.
He claimed GPs, carers and patients had raised concerns the impact on local health and care services will be “disproportionate”.
The MP said another reason for the proposed boundary shift is “relatively poor public transport” in Hook and Chessington.
He suggested “targeted improvements to public transport, especially bus routes, which are comparatively poor in these areas, would be more appropriate than a blanket tax over a much wider area”.
Mr Davey said he put forward the proposal at such a late stage because he disagreed with the expansion over concerns it would leave people “in a position where they cannot find or afford an alternative compliant second-hand car”.
He added he wanted the scheme to be delayed and reviewed to create a policy that “tackles air pollution and is much fairer – with better support from central government for a scrappage scheme for people regularly commuting into London”.
But he said he recognised the expansion would go ahead, and has called for the boundary shift to instead “reduce some of the unfairness” on Hook and Chessington.
Kingston Lib Dems have started a petition backing Mr Davey’s campaign.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “The Mayor has been clear that the decision to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone London-wide was not an easy one, but necessary to tackle toxic air pollution and the climate crisis.
“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 ten cars seen driving in outer London on an average day are already ULEZ compliant and their drivers will not have to pay the charge. The Mayor is doing all he can to support Londoners with the switch to cleaner vehicles, and expanded the scrappage scheme so that every Londoner with a non-compliant car is eligible to apply for a £2,000 grant.
“Sadiq is using limited funding to provide a scheme that should be funded at a national level. The Mayor continues to call on the Government to provide funding to London and the home counties for scrappage schemes, as they have done for other cities implementing Clean Air Zones such as Birmingham, Bristol and Portsmouth – and invites other politicians to join him.”
Prime minister Rishi Sunak has said support for those affected by the expanded ULEZ charge is “solely the responsibility of the Labour Party”.
During a visit to Kilburn Police Station on August 30, he told GB News: “This is solely the responsibility of the Labour Party and the Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan and Keir Starmer.
“It’s for them to explain why they think this is the right thing to do and they should do that. I don’t think it’s the right priority, people have made their views very clear and now it’s up to them to explain themselves.”
