Ultra Low Emission Zone

Last year, the council encouraged residents, partners, and those who work and travel through the borough to have their say in the Mayor of London and TfL's consultation regarding the expansion. 

The  council's response to the ULEZ expansion consultation (PDF) [6MB] opposed its extension on the grounds that a one-size-fits-all approach for the whole of London doesn't work and targeted action would be more meaningful.

Other factors for the council's opposition include:

• the impact on those unable to pay the charge and least able to replace older, non-compliant cars during the cost of living crisis
• Hillingdon's lack of public transport services in comparison to central London
• the impact on local businesses and services, including the recruitment and retention of workforces
• poor air quality impacts are not boroughwide.  

Following the Mayor of London's announcement in November 2022 that the ULEZ will be expanded London-wide from August 2023, Hillingdon, Harrow, Bexley and Croydon councils announced that they would work to resist its implementation by using all means at their disposal.

In January 2023, the coalition of councils wrote to the Mayor of London raising concerns about the plans and requesting he supplies evidence.

On Saturday 4 February, the coalition released a statement that they would not sign the Section 8 agreement with TfL while legal action is underway. The Mayor responded on Sunday 5 February with a letter addressed to the leaders of Bexley, Bromley, Harrow and Hillingdon citing mortality rates as a key ground for justifying the expansion. 

In a written response on Wednesday 8 February, the leaders of the four councils told the Mayor of London air pollution statistics he shared were misleading and pledged their commitment to fighting his ULEZ expansion plans.

On Thursday 16 February, the coalition of five councils (Bexley, Bromley, Harrow, Hillingdon and Surrey County Council) launched a Judicial Review to challenge TfL and the Mayor of London's decision to expand ULEZ to outer London boroughs.

The coalition will challenge the expansion in the High Court on five grounds: 

1. Failure to comply with relevant statutory requirements 
2. Unlawful failure to consider expected compliance rates in outer London 
3. The proposed scrappage scheme was not consulted upon 
4. Failure to carry out any cost benefit analysis 
5. Inadequate consultation and/or apparent predetermination arising from the conduct of the consultation. 

Related council news 

• Tell us how ULEZ expansion would affect you [1 March 2023]
• Cllr Ian Edwards, Leader of Hillingdon Council, was invited to discuss the council's position on ULEZ on BBC Radio London. You can listen to the full interview between 12 minutes to 24 minutes. [17 February 2023]
• Councils challenge ULEZ expansion decision in the courts [16 February 2023]
• Coalition of councils vows to continue fight against Mayor of London's ULEZ expansion [8 February 2023]
• Coalition of London boroughs insist Mayor supplies ULEZ expansion evidence  [13 January 2023]
• Joint statement from Hillingdon, Harrow, Bexley and Croydon councils on ULEZ expansion  [25 November 2022]
• Bi-partisan letter urges GLA member to vote against 'taxing' ULEZ expansion [18 November 2022]
• Our response to the Mayor of London's proposals regarding ULEZ [28 July 2022]
• Council encourages people to have their say on ULEZ expansion plans [29 June 2022]