Labour council wants its OWN vehicles to be made exempt from Sadiq Khan's Ulez charge
Sadiq Khan's ULEZ expansion has come under fire
PA
A Labour council has been accused of being hypocritical for supporting Sadiq Khan's contentious plan to expand London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) while requesting an exemption for 400 of its own vehicles.
Last summer, Katherine Dunne, the deputy leader of Hounslow Council, wrote to the Mayor of London to express her fears that the council might not be able to convert all of its vehicles to Ulez compliance by the deadline of August 2023.
The council, which already has 37 Ulez cameras installed on its streets, is one of 16 outer London boroughs that have backed the mayor's proposals to expand the zone.
Dunne stated that failure to comply with the compliance requirements - which include paying a daily £12.50 fee for operating a vehicle inside the designated region without fulfilling the emissions standards - would put additional strain on the authority's financial resources.
Hounslow House
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In a letter obtained by The Daily Telegraph, she said: “We have already invested in their replacement, yet supply chain challenges mean the earliest likely date for vehicle delivery is 2023-24.
“If there are any further delays in the market and supply, there will be insufficient time to make the fleet compliant before the proposed August 2023 rollout.”
She added: “If no dispensation is provided, we will be subject to Ulez penalties, putting further pressure on councils budgets.”
The letter was made public by Conservative councillor Jack Emsley, who said: “It's complete hypocrisy for Hounslow Council to back the Ulez expansion for hard working families and businesses whilst simultaneously asking for an exemption for themselves.
Khan has continued with his ULEZ expansion plans despite vocal criticism
PA
“It cannot be one rule for the Hounslow Labour party and another rule for the rest of us.”
Dunne, in a statement to the Telegraph, said that the council was dedicated to having compliant vehicles and that it was currently updating its vehicle fleet through procurement.
“During this period of transition alternative vehicle hires are being sourced until the delivery of the new vehicles,” she added.
The widely criticised Ulez expansion is set to hit wider parts of London in August, causing thousands of people to pay a charge.
The ULEZ expansion means more Londoners are expected to face charges
PA
Khan has urged Rishi Sunak to help fund a scrappage scheme for the home counties ahead of the planned expansion.
The Mayor of London wrote to the Prime Minister asking him to provide financial support for people in locations such as Surrey and Kent who drive into the capital with the most polluting vehicles to scrap or retrofit them.
He also called on Sunak to match the £110 million he has allocated for London’s scrappage scheme.
A Government spokesman said the mayor must “justify his decision” to extend the Ulez.
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