BREAKING - Councils lose ULEZ extension case

THE case brought before the High Court in opposition to Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ expansion has failed, and the London Mayor can now continue with the move to increase the Ultra Low Emission Zone.

Five Conservative led councils were in opposition to the move, which included Bexley, Bromley, Harrow, Hillingdon and Surrey. The move now means that from August 29th, drivers over non-ULEZ conforming vehicles in the new larger area will have to pay £12.50 a day for the privilege. 

This is a breaking news story and we’ll update this page as new information is released.

This is an updated page that was originally published 13/07/2023, the original article can be found below.

The new ULEZ as of August 29th

ESSEX Council has this week passed a motion banning the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, from putting up any of his ULEZ expansion signs on Essex Council Land.

The London mayor's plan was to erect signs warning drivers they were about to, or getting near to entering, the ULEZ's soon to be expanded area. Doubling down on this move, the BBC reports that the council has also prevented any existing signage in the county from being modified in relation to the ULEZ.

The move from Essex Council comes after a number of other councils due to enter the ULEZ objected to the plans, forcing the expansion to be put before a judical review for further consideration.

The BBC reports that Councillor Holly Whitbread (Con, Epping and Theydon Bois) said:

"In Essex, hundreds of residents are attacked by ULEZ, which is a tax without accountability. This council recognises the importance of air quality for Essex residents."she went on to say that the counsin understands the need for "clear actions to improve the air quality in Essex going forward".

This is an updated article orginally published 04/07/2023, the original article can be found below

THE London Mayor, Sadiq Khan’s plan to extend the ULEZ to cover all London boroughs beginning at the end of August.

The five councils looking to overturn the move are Bexley, Bromley, Harrow, Hillingdon and Surrey councils. The current ULEZ covers the inner area of London, stretching from the north to the south circular roads. 

Where will the ULEZ be extended to?

Mr Khan’s plan will see the ULEZ extend to much more of the capital and in some parts stretching as far as the M25. Mr Khan claims that the move is needed to ensure the air quality in London is improved. The Conservative-led councils that are pushing back on the plans are claiming that the move will have a negative financial impact on drivers.

Making their feelings clear on the matter, the above-mentioned councils served Mr Khan and his office with a ‘pre-action protocol’ letter at the beginning of the year, stating that there were five grounds for a judicial review. The High Court then found that three of those five grounds were valid and that the forced expansion could be unlawful.

There are claims from campaign groups though that say the move to extend the Ultra Low Emissions Zone is going to hit the poorest hardest, with thousands of working-class motorists within the city likely to feel the pinch more than most.

There is a modicum of financial help though for those looking to swap from a non-compliant vehicle to a compliant one, although at £2,000 for a car and £1,000 for a motorcycle, some campaigners are claiming it doesn’t go far enough.

The hearing will take place today in front of Mr Justice Swift who is expected to pass verdict on the matter at a later date.

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