Council opposes ULEZ expansion

The Leader of Hertfordshire County Council has written to London Mayor Sadiq Khan outlining the Council's opposition to the expansion of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to Hertfordshire's borders.

The proposed expansion will see the zone extent north to the M25, taking in Enfield and Edmonton.

With less frequent public transport and large distances to travel across the county, Hertfordshire residents frequently use their vehicles when travelling into London for work, leisure, to attend hospital appointments or care for loved ones.

The introduction of a £12.50 charge to enter London, particularly at a time when households are struggling is seen by the council as a regressive tax on motorists going about their day to day lives.

The Leader's letter outlines the concerns expressed by the council:

Dear Mr Mayor,

When we responded to your consultation last year on the proposal to expand the ULEZ up to the Hertfordshire border, we were clear that while we support the aim of the ULEZ in improving air quality, we could not support the expansion as Transport for London had not properly assessed the impact on the towns and villages bordering London or put sufficient measures in place to mitigate the impact on our most vulnerable residents.

We know that London’s other neighbours share our concerns, and we are therefore surprised and disappointed that you have chosen to go ahead with this scheme, despite the blatant unfairness to residents outside London.

In the south of our county, many people must cross into London boroughs for work and leisure, but most importantly many residents from Hertfordshire and beyond use specialist medical services such as the cancer treatment hospital at Mount Vernon. At a time of considerable stress, often older patients, in particular our most vulnerable residents, will face daily charges to access treatment.

This is hugely regressive, hitting the poorest hardest, effectively targeting the least well off who are least likely to be able to replace their vehicle.

We therefore cannot support the ULEZ expansion, and we do not accept that any signage or cameras aimed at fining our drivers - potentially up to £180 if they forget to pay the £12.50 charge - should be based in Hertfordshire.

Our residents are facing sufficient hardship at the moment with cost of living pressures, without additional charges and fines for going about their daily lives.

We do support the continued rollout of EV charging across the county, the uptake of electric and hybrid vehicles as we draw near to the 2030 deadline for petrol and diesel cars and would welcome any support for a national scrappage scheme.

Cleaner air is a priority in Hertfordshire and with 2030 looming we welcome the Government’s longstanding commitment to phase out petrol and diesel engines after this date. In the meantime, we should not be penalising those going to work or hospital particularly at this difficult time.

Yours Sincerely,
Richard Roberts
Leader of Hertfordshire County Council

The London ULEZ was introduced in April 2019 to discourage drivers of high-polluting vehicles from using roads in central London. Its aim was to reduce pollution and help clean the city’s toxic air. 

Research in 2020 found the daily charge has helped to reduce roadside nitrogen dioxide levels by 44 percent

More than four out of five vehicles already meet the emissions standards required to enter the ULEZ. To see if your vehicle meets the ULEZ emission standards, use this vehicle checker.

North of the M25, proposed charges to use a section of the A10 between Turnford and Cheshunt have been put on hold following the Covid-19 Pandemic, with alternative measures being studied to bring about a reduction in Nitrogen Dioxide levels.