London ULEZ expansion faces Judicial Review

Councils win right to challenge Mayor’s plan, reports Deniz Huseyin

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s plan to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is to be challenged by five local authorities in the High Court later this year. Four London boroughs –Hillingdon, Bexley, Bromley, Harrow – and Surrey County Council were granted permission for a Judicial Review.

In February, the five Conservative councils put forward five grounds for challenging the mayor’s plans, but have only been given permission to proceed with two of them:

• failure to comply with relevant statutory requirements

• whether the mayor properly considered the previous “buffer zone” approach as a material consideration in relation to the scrappage scheme.

The three rejected grounds were:

• unlawful failure to consider expected compliance rates in outer London

• failure to carry out any cost benefit analysis

• inadequate consultation and/or apparent predetermination arising from the conduct of the consultation.

The ULEZ currently covers the capital as far as, but not including, the North and South Circular Roads. Under the mayor’ plans, it will extend to cover all London boroughs on 29 August.

A Bromley spokesperson said: “The hearing of the claim is likely to be listed in the week commencing Monday 3 July or shortly thereafter.”

Colin Smith, leader of Bromley Council, said: “We welcome the fact that these concerns will now be heard by the High Court, with the outcome a matter for the court to determine. Our principled opposition to the expanded ULEZ remains undi-