Andrew Dismore

Andrew Dismore AM, Labour London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden, demanded that Boris Johnson should put forward more ambitious plans for an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) , when seconding the Labour motion at today’s Assembly Plenary meeting on the Mayor’s poor environmental record  (text of motion as passed  below)

Speaking in the debate, Mr Dismore backed the criticisms of the Mayor’s proposals put forward by a number of inner London Boroughs including Camden.

Mr Dismore said:

‘The Mayor must strongly consider widening the zone and increasing it incrementally. He should  ring fence funds collected for air quality improvement and use the money on sustainable transport.  The charging structure  should be progressive with  higher levies against more polluting motors, in order to gradually phase out diesel engines.  We  need to see  a scrappage scheme (as the last Labour  Government introduced) to get the most polluting vehicles off the road in tandem with the roll-out of the zone, with  exemptions from  the ULEZ when it would cause genuine business hardship.  the fact that the mayor is  talking about a 5 to 6 year timescale is also unacceptable, and he needs to get on with it. The Mayor should also  strengthen the existing Low Emission Zone (LEZ) so that it applies to all vehicles by 2025’.

 

notes to editors

text of motion

“This Assembly denounces the Mayor for his abject failure to tackle the biggest environmental challenges facing London. On every single issue from air pollution to carbon reduction and decentralised energy, the Assembly is appalled by the toxic environmental legacy the Mayor will leave Londoners.

“This Assembly is further disappointed by the Mayor’s current proposals for an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which have gone back on his earlier commitment to restrict central London “only to those vehicles which have zero or near-zero tailpipe emissions”.  The Mayor’s initial ULEZ proposals should form only the first stage of a programme to eventually be expanded beyond the initial Congestion Zone boundary, and outline a specific target date set for a total ban on polluting vehicles entering central London.

“Before he was elected the Mayor vowed to “take action to make London the greenest city in the world”. Six years later, London is set to face fines for illegal levels of air pollution whilst the evidence grows of how toxic pollutants are damaging young Londoners’ health. Despite this, the Mayor rejected calls to use his 2014-15 budget to retrofit London’s bus fleet with the latest emission reducing technology, which could significantly improve air quality in the capital.

“Meanwhile, in energy security the Mayor is ‘missing his targets’ to build up London’s decentralised energy capacity, a vital measure to ensure future security of supply.^[1] On tackling carbon reduction the Mayor received only 4/10 on progress to date following the Environment Committee’s latest audit.^[2]

 

“The Mayor’s attacks on renewables and support for fracking are symbolic of his regressive approach to London’s environmental challenges. Given this, the London Assembly does not support any fracking activities within the boundaries of Greater London.

 

“This Assembly calls on the Mayor to use his remaining time in office to re-focus his efforts and ensure the GLA’s Environment Team have the resources necessary to make London a more sustainable city.”