The letter follows a motion passed by KCC’s full council at a meeting on Thursday 13th July, where it was agreed that the Leader would write to Mr Khan calling for a reversal of the expansion.
Roger Gough previously wrote to London’s Mayor in February this year, asking for further talks on the proposals and for mitigations to be put in place, including the expansion of the Mayor’s vehicle scrappage scheme, for residents, charities and businesses within Kent’s boundary that would be impacted by the expansion.
In the latest correspondence Roger Gough expresses his ‘considerable disappointment’ at Sadiq Khan’s ‘continuing refusal to materially and properly consider all the implications of the proposed ULEZ expansion to the border of Kent’, and the ‘significant impact’ on Kent residents, particularly those with protected characteristics and those most affected by the current cost of living crisis.
“I formally call on you to reverse your decision. As part of a reversal, I would ask that you make time to meet with me and other affected County Council Leaders bordering London to discuss how the aim of improving air quality could be met without an unmitigated impact on communities.”
In the letter, KCC’s Leader writes “It is increasingly apparent that notwithstanding a range of correspondence and consultation responses from organisations and individuals immediately bordering the affected entry points to the new zone, that these have not been properly considered or taken account in your delivery plans.
“Worse still, your officials, having said how important a comprehensive public transport offer was to mitigate these impacts, have now advised us of your plans to remove travelcards from the very same affected cohort of Kent residents. The failure to take properly into account and ensure mitigation will have, significant consequences for a number of Kent residents.
“I formally call on you to reverse your decision. As part of a reversal, I would ask that you make time to meet with me and other affected County Council Leaders bordering London to discuss how the aim of improving air quality could be met without an unmitigated impact on communities across the home counties.”
Mr Gough added that if the plans for the ULEZ expansion are not shelved, KCC “will consider our options in relation to legal action pending the outcome of the ongoing Judicial Review”.
The authority will continue to block ULEZ warning signs from being placed on KCC’s infrastructure. KCC has not been contacted about the installation of ANPR cameras on its infrastructure but, if it were asked, this would be refused.
ENDS
