Ulez: Five councils spent £730K on failed legal challenge

Five Conservative-run councils that challenged the legality of the expansion of Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) spent a total of £730,941.

Four London authorities, Bexley, Bromley, Harrow, Hillingdon, and Surrey County Council took the legal challenge to the High Court in July but lost.

The total costs include £230,941 in disbursements and £500,000 in legal costs to Transport for London.

One of the councils said the cost was a "sound and balanced risk".

Split equally, each council will pay £147,853.20.

Councillor Colin Smith, leader of Bromley Council, said the cost of the challenge was "£1 to every home in the borough once" and so the "council continues to regard the associated costs as a sound and balanced risk for Bromley residents as whole".

The legal action was launched in February as the councils challenged the Labour mayor of London's plans to charge older, more polluting vehicles £12.50 a day as Ulez expanded into outer London.

But a ruling in July determined there was no legal impediment to the expansion, with the judge stating the mayor's expansion decision "was within his powers".

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan welcomed the ruling at the time, describing it as a "landmark decision".

Since the expansion on 29 August, the number of vehicles complying with Ulez has reached 95% across inner and outer London, according to a report by City Hall.

BBC analysis, based on the report's data from 29 August until 30 September, suggests the expansion earned £23.6m from 57,200 drivers paying the daily £12.50 charge.

Bexley, Hillingdon, Harrow and Surrey councils have been approached for comment.

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