Hertfordshire County Council has expressed its opposition to the expansion of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which is set to go into effect on Monday, August 29.

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The ULEZ expansion will extend the zone’s boundaries to the borders of Hertfordshire, meaning that drivers with non-compliant vehicles will face a £12.50 daily charge to enter the capital.

The council believes that the expansion will disproportionately impact some of the poorest in society and potentially price them off the roads. The council has also argued that the expansion is the wrong scheme at the wrong time, given the current pressures on family and business budgets.

The council has been making representations to the Mayor of London to pause the expansion and redraw the ULEZ boundary, but these representations have fallen on deaf ears.

In response, the council has said that it will not permit Transport for London to place ULEZ signage on Hertfordshire’s roads. The council has also launched a new website page providing information about the ULEZ.

The council has said that it will continue to stand up for residents and businesses and will continue to make representations to Transport for London and the Mayor of London on their behalf.

More than 1.5 million people living outside London could be impacted by the new London-wide Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), according to Data from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

Hertfordshire County Council’s position

Richard Roberts, Leader of Hertfordshire County Council, wrote to the Mayor of London to express concerns about the planned expansion of the Ultra-Low Emissions Zone and the impact on Hertfordshire residents. You can read the letter in full here.

On Tuesday 18 July 2023, the full council of Hertfordshire County Council considered a motion relating to your plan to expand the Ultra-Low Emission Zone from inside the north and south circular roads in London right up to the borders of our county. The full motion can be accessed at (Public Pack)Agenda Document for County Council, 18/07/2023 10:00 (hertfordshire.gov.uk).

During the debate, speakers from across the political spectrum spoke of the importance of tackling air pollution, something this council takes incredibly seriously and something we would like to work with you to improve, however, as the motion makes clear, the expansion of the ULEZ zone at this time, and in this manner cannot be supported.