Sadiq Khan extends ULEZ scrappage scheme after coverage blamed for Labour’s Uxbridge by-election defeat

London mayor Sadiq Khan has expanded the scrappage scheme for vehicles to conform along with his extremely low emission zone (ULEZ) after it was blamed for Labour’s defeat within the Uxbridge by-election.

Grants of as much as £2,000 will now be made obtainable to all Londoners who want to scrap any automobile or bike that’s non-compliant with the zone’s emissions requirements.

While beforehand solely youngster profit recipients, low-income and disabled individuals had been eligible for scrappage grants, from Monday 21 August all individuals within the capital with non-ULEZ compliant vehicles or bikes can apply.

The fee for vans will rise from £5,000 to £7,000, with small companies and sole merchants capable of obtain as much as £21,000 in grants to scrap as much as three vans.

However, the scrappage scheme shouldn’t be retrospective – which means those that have already paid for a brand new car is not going to be reimbursed the grant.

The Conservatives described the event as “too little too late”.

The concession, funded by £50m of City Hall reserves, comes after the Tories were able to hold on to Boris Johnson’s former seat campaigning on an anti-ULEZ platform, which is because of be expanded to outer London on the finish of the month.

The further £50m takes the entire worth of the scrappage fund to £160m.

The ULEZ – which is already in place in central and inside London – costs motorists £12.50 a day to drive probably the most polluting automobiles within the boundaries it covers.

From 29 August, the zone will probably be prolonged as much as the capital’s borders with Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey.

The mayor has repeatedly burdened that 90% of vehicles seen driving in outer London on a median day are already ULEZ-compliant, however the enlargement of the scheme has encountered fierce resistance in some areas because of the rising value of residing.

In the wake of the Uxbridge by-election outcome – which the Tories received by simply 495 votes – plenty of senior Labour politicians, together with chief Sir Keir Starmer and deputy Angela Rayner, got here on to the airwaves to denounce the coverage.

In a direct rebuke to the Labour London mayor, Sir Keir instructed Sky News that his celebration lost the Uxbridge by-election because of the scheme’s expansion as he urged Mr Khan to “reflect”.

Mr Khan has caught by the coverage, citing the damaging impact of air air pollution on Londoners’ well being.

Last week he was boosted by a High Court ruling which found the expansion to the capital’s outer boroughs was lawful.

Under the prolonged scrappage scheme, charities will have the ability to obtain as much as £27,000 in grants to scrap as much as three minibuses, whereas from Friday, elevated grants will come into power for non-compliant vans and mini-buses.

Mr Khan, mentioned: “I have always said that expanding the ULEZ to the whole of London was a difficult decision, and not one I took lightly – but it’s a decision I remain committed to seeing through.

“I’m not ready to step again, delay or water down very important inexperienced insurance policies like ULEZ, which is not going to solely save lives and defend youngsters’s lungs by cleansing up our polluted air however assist us to struggle the local weather disaster.

“I have continued to listen to the concerns of Londoners over recent months, and today I can announce a huge expansion to the scrappage scheme that means that all Londoners with non ULEZ-compliant cars will now be able to get financial support to switch to greener, less polluting vehicles.”

The mayor’s intervention was welcomed by incapacity rights champion Dr Kush Kanodia, who mentioned it was “great news for the disabled community and shows campaigns from disabled people can have a significant impact to change the policy in Greater London”.

Tim Dexter, clear air lead at Asthma + Lung UK, mentioned: “ULEZ is about reducing the number of polluting vehicles on the road and helping every Londoner breathe cleaner air, including the estimated 585,000 people living with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease living across London.

“Schemes like ULEZ are confirmed to cut back air air pollution – a public well being emergency contributing to 4,000 early deaths in London yearly.”

But Susan Hall, who will stand for the Tories against Mr Khan at the next mayoral election in 2024, said: “This is just too little, too late from Sadiq Khan, who’s dealing with mounting strain from Londoners and his personal celebration.

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“Thousands of families, small businesses and charities face financial ruin because of Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ expansion, which will do next to nothing to improve air quality.

“If I’m elected mayor, I’ll reverse this disastrous coverage and change it with a £50m fund to cut back air air pollution with out taxing individuals.”

Keith Prince, City Hall’s Conservative transport spokesperson, claimed it was an “act of desperation to appease members of his personal celebration” but would not “go far sufficient to cease the harm his ULEZ enlargement will do to Londoners”.

“The neatest thing he may do is U-turn and undertake some insurance policies that might really clear the air, resembling accelerating the transfer to zero-emission buses,” he mentioned.