Plans to combat air pollution in London have taken a dramatic step forward after new Mayor Sadiq Khan announced a consultation on a raft of measures including extending the reach of the proposed Ultra Low Emission Zone and bringing forward its introduction.

 

The Mayor plans to broaden the zone to include the North and South Circular roads and for the scheme to start before the end of the decade. Under current plans the zone will only operate within the Congestion Charging area and will come into force in 2020.

 

Other initiatives include introducing an extra charge on the most polluting vehicles entering central London from next year, using the Congestion Charge payment and enforcement system. Ultra low emission standards are pledged to be introduced for heavy goods vehicles in London from 2020 and go ahead may be granted to start work on a diesel vehicle scrappage scheme in London.

 

City Hall says that almost 10,000 Londoners die every year because of polluted air. The capital does not currently meet legal requirements for pollutants such as Nitrogen Dioxide and new research published by the World Health Organisation shows that London has breached safe levels of pollutant particles known as PM10.

 

Sadiq Khan said: “I want to act before an emergency, which is why we need big, bold and sometimes difficult policies if London is to meet the scale of the challenge.”

 

Environmental group ClientEarth – which previously won a Supreme Court judgement on air pollution against the Government – welcomed the Mayor’s new proposals.

 

The group’s lawyer Alan Andrews said: “This is a hugely positive announcement from the new Mayor and shows clear ambition to clean up London’s dirty air. We welcome his plans to extend the Ultra Low Emission Zone and to bring it in earlier. This is vital if we are to take the dirtiest vehicles out of London.”

 

London Assembly Green party member Caroline Russell added: “While I warmly welcome the Mayor’s intention to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone to the North and South Circular it is essential that all outer London boroughs should also have the ability to opt in right from the beginning.

 

“There are a lot of heavily polluted main roads beyond the ring road where residents will want cleaner air.”

 

(Photo: Alvey and Towers)