Theresa Villiers has published this article, updating her constituents on the campaign against ULEZ expansion in the suburbs:
“Introducing these new taxes on driving during a cost of living crisis is unjustifiable and inexcusable. I am urging Mayor Khan to reconsider his misguided ULEZ decision. I am deeply concerned about the impact that expansion will have on my constituents and businesses, particularly those unable to buy a car or van which is new enough to be exempt from the charge of £12.50 per day. While I understand that there will be a scrappage scheme, it will only be open to certain limited groups, such as the disabled. Many thousands of my constituents will not be eligible.
The Independent Impact Assessment released alongside the ULEZ consultation indicates that the proposed expansion will not deliver the environmental benefits that are claimed. It will have only a very marginal impact on air quality in Barnet.
But I fear that it will also put further strain on our town centres by deterring visitors from outside London. It will also make employment in outer London boroughs less attractive, harming provision of public services. I particularly worried about the care workers who live outside London and need their cars to get to the homes of the elderly and vulnerable people they look after. There is already a shortage of care-workers and ULEZ expansion could make this even worse.
I have set up a petition to allow constituents to express their opposition to ULEZ expansion. Please do sign up. Click here to add your name.
Last year the Greater London Assembly had the chance to block ULEZ expansion. Together with Matthew Offord MP, Mike Freer MP and the Leader of the Conservative Group on Barnet Council, Cllr Dan Thomas, I contacted the Labour GLA member for our area, Cllr Anne Clarke, appealing to her to vote down the Mayor’s proposal. Unfortunately, she and other Labour GLA members supported the Mayor and the expansion of the ULEZ was voted through. All the GLA Conservatives voted against.
I have recently urged the leader of the council, Barry Rawlings, to oppose the Mayor’s scheme and join the judicial review challenge against the Mayor which is being considered by a number of Conservative-led London boroughs.
I would also like to see Cllr Rawlings follow the lead set by Kent County Council, which is refusing to put up ULEZ related signs on their roads leading into London.
Unfortunately, Barnet’s recently elected Labour council have expressed strong support for ULEZ expansion. I think that is badly letting down their residents. We all want to improve air quality in London, but this is the wrong scheme at the wrong time. I will continue to campaign against it.”
