Member Article

Sadiq Khan makes first policy moves as he looks to double size of clean air zone

New London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced he is planning on introducing a raft of new measures that take aim at the capital’s air pollution in his first policy moves since his election win last week.

In the proposals, that were announced today, Khan has outlined how he intends to almost double the size of London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which is due to come in to force in 2020, so that it stretches from the North Circular Road to the South Circular Road instead of being just confined to the congestion charging zone.

The ULEZ, which could also come into force earlier than planned, is an additional charge on the capital’s most polluting vehicles in an attempt to encourage residents and businesses to upgrade to more environmentally-friendly, low carbon alternatives.

The new mayor has also announced plans to introduce an additional charge on the most polluting vehicles from 2017 that will be in addition to the current £11.50 daily congestion charge levied on drivers in Central London.

Air pollution and the environment were one of the core issues of the Mayoral Election campaign, with both Khan and his Conservative rival Zac Goldsmith pushing their green credentials.

London fares poorly in comparison to other European capitals in terms of its air quality, ranking fifteenth out of 36 world cities in the AMEC air quality rankings, and it is estimated that almost 10,000 Londoners die prematurely per year due to poor air quality.

Speaking at an event at Sir John Cass’s Foundation Primary School, in Aldgate, the new Mayor said: “I have been elected with a clear mandate to clean up London’s air – our biggest environmental challenge.

“I know from personal experience that the city’s air is damaging people’s health as I only recently started suffering from asthma as an adult. Many pollution hotspots in London are around schools, exposing our children to dangerously polluted air and putting them at greater risk of respiratory conditions like mine.

Taking aim at previous incumbent Boris Johnson and the government, Khan has criticised the inaction that has prevailed on the issue and hopes the consultation process will help kick-start a reform of London’s air quality.

He added: “The previous Mayor was too slow on this issue and the Government has been hopelessly inactive and it’s Londoners who are suffering as a result. We need to speed up our efforts so I’ll be launching a consultation before the summer to kick-start the process. As well as my proposals, I’ll be seeking views on other ways we can do more to clean up the city’s air.

“In the past, London has only responded after an emergency, like with the Clean Air Act, which followed the Great London Smogs of the 1950s. But I want to act before an emergency, which is why we need big, bold and sometimes difficult policies if London is to match the scale of the challenge.”