Council Asked for ULEZ Exemption for its Non-compliant Vehicles

Opposition accuses it of hypocrisy for supporting expansion

Most council vehicles are already compliant with the new standard

February 24, 2023

Hounslow Council has been accused of double standards for supporting the expansion of the ULEZ while requesting an exemption for its own non-complaint vehicles.

Following the recent consultation, a letter from the council’s deputy leader, Cllr Katherine Dunne, Cabinet Member for Climate, Environment and Transport Strategy, which was written last summer, has been published in which she gives the borough’s response to the proposal to expand the charging area out to the M25 meaning the whole of Hounslow Borough will be included.

Although, the letter is generally supportive, she does express some significant reservations and points out that vehicles operating in the borough have the lowest level of compliance of any local authority area within the zone. Up to a third of vehicles could be subject to the charge according to TfL’s own integrated impact assessment which Cllr Dunne estimated could mean up to 42,000 non-compliant vehicles were registered in the borough.

She says in her letter addressed to the Mayor, “Hounslow’s residents, businesses, and other stakeholders are likely to be some of the most impacted in London.”

However, no request is made for a general delay in the implementation of the charge, but she does ask for more time to bring the council’s own vehicles up to standard saying, “Our fleet consists of 400 vehicles in total and we have around 70 vehicles that are currently non-compliant… If there any further delays in the market and supply, there will be insufficient time to make the fleet compliant before the proposed August 2023 rollout of the ULEZ expansion.”

She says the council budget will be put under further pressure by having to pay the charge and therefore requested that Hounslow and other London borough’s be given additional time to upgrade their fleets.

The letter also points out other potential serious problems stating, “The outer areas of the Borough have poor public transport accessibility, where a car may be the only practical option. Where public transport services run, these are mainly radial and there is a lack of existing orbital services connecting communities to key centres of employment, education, and leisure. This is concerning for our residents and staff who live in the outer areas of the Borough and may have little choice but to use a car.”

The response continues, “Where public transport and active travel is less accessible in outer London, those on low incomes unable to afford a compliant car may find it more difficult to change their mode of travel to adapt, or may be forced to reduce the number of trips they make, affecting their ability to travel to or find work.”

It is also admitted that the £12.50 charge will reduce trips into the borough damaging the already weakened local economy with the internationally important freight and distribution industry servicing Heathrow based in the borough likely to consider relocation due to the extra cost.

The issue of people who need to travel to health care appointments and need to use private vehicles, for instance pregnant women is also raised with the Impact Assessment undertaken for the ULEZ not referencing groups like this.

Cllr Dunne also expresses concerns about the way the consultation was handled saying, “With 29% of the borough population having English as a second language it has been difficult to locate any consultation materials that have been produced in any other language such as Punjabi or Polish for example. We have not seen evidence of how TfL have taken steps to engage with these communities.”

The scheme is facing some push back with five local authorities launching a legal challenge and four London Labour MPs, including Seema Malhotra who represents Feltham and Heston in Hounslow borough, saying they have significant concerns and the Mayor should pause implementation.

Major unions, including UNITE and GMB, have also come out against the plan saying that it discriminates against low paid workers. Many of the Labour councillors in Hounslow are members of these unions.

In response to the letter, South West GLA Member Nick Rogers said, “It is complete hypocrisy for Hounslow Council to demand struggling families pay ULEZ fines, whilst simultaneously asking for an exemption for themselves. Hounslow Council is right to acknowledge how much damage the proposed ULEZ expansion will do to the local economy and the pressure it will place on already struggling residents. I am working hard to hold Sadiq Khan to account and challenge this potentially ruinous plan; it’s a shame Hounslow Council is refusing to do the same.”

Councillor Peter Thompson, leader of the Conservative opposition group on Hounslow Council, added, “The council has a duty of care to its residents, so I am thoroughly disappointed it has called for an exemption to its own fleet of vehicles without advocating for the same for hard working local families. I’m concerned that the council’s own letter acknowledges up to 42% of drivers in the borough will be impacted by the ULEZ expansion, contributing to a triple whammy of financial pressures which includes the Labour’s decision to raise council tax both locally and London-wide. The council is refusing to stand up for working people in the borough by backing Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ expansion.”

Cllr Dunne responded to the criticisms by saying that the borough’s priority is to ensure TfL implements this scheme in a sensitive way that reduces the impact on residents at a time where cost of living pressures are already very high. She continued, “In my letter to the Mayor of London last summer on the ULEZ consultation, whilst welcoming the decision to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to cover all of London, I highlighted some of the impacts on residents and businesses and proposed potential mitigation measures that TfL ought to consider.

“This includes ULEZ possibly resulting in a reduction in trips into Hounslow. This may impact employment and businesses for which I requested improvements to public transport services to support this change along with an enhancement and expansion of the bus network to ensure people have a viable alternative way to travel with newer and cleaner buses introduced on routes within the borough. Also, increasing the number of rail and tube stations with step free access will make public transport more accessible. I know the west of the borough is home to internationally important freight and distribution industry servicing Heathrow. There is a risk that these businesses could relocate outside of Hounslow and the London boundary, further damaging our economy that is slowly recovering from the pandemic. Assistance for these businesses will be essential. Hounslow Council would welcome targeted support in the form of personalised travel planning from TfL and associated stakeholders to enable residents to understand how they can use modes of active travel within their local environment.

“I welcome the proposed grace period extension to 2027 for people with disabilities alongside the extension for minibuses and wheelchair accessible private hire vehicles. However, there is also the potential that access to primary and secondary health care appointments may be restricted for others who rely on personal vehicles such as pregnant residents and older residents. The impact on people in all of the protected characteristics groups must be fully considered and mitigated.”

She called for more government support to help people in London switch to cleaner vehicles similar to that provided in other cities in England.

The Mayor has recently stated that there is no intention to delay the ULEZ and to do so would leave a significant shortfall in TfL’s budget.