London boroughs objecting to ULEZ expansion have installed the fewest charging points, study finds

Using figures acquired from all 33 London borough through the Freedom of Information act, climate action charity Possible has found that the boroughs seeking to block or delay the London’s ULEZ expansion are also lagging behind others in the installation of EV charging points.

Six of the boroughs who are fighting the expansion: Hillingdon, Bexley, Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Harrow, and Bromley had installed just over 200 public EV charging points between them. By comparison, Hammersmith & Fulham had installed 1200.

On average, boroughs opposed to the ULEZ expansion have installed less than 100 while those in support have averaged more than 450. Possible go on point out that Harrow Council is preparing to spend up to £400,000 in a legal battle against the expansion plans while they have only spent £70,000 to date installing charge points.

Leo Murray, co-director of Possible says: ‘It is deeply ironic to hear these councils demand the Mayor does more to support Londoners to switch to greener transport when they’ve barely lifted a finger to do so themselves. Against a backdrop of failure and negligence in their own jurisdictions, bad faith complaints about the impacts of ULEZ expansion on constituents ring very hollow. If people living in these boroughs feel trapped driving dirty vehicles, then perhaps their councils should be using the powers and funding available to them to help residents clean up their travel, instead of carping.‘

This comes as opposition to the ULEZ expansion mounts on a daily basis, from within the expansion zone and without. The latest to speak against it are Herts County Council whose executive member for environment and waste, Eric Buckmaster said: ‘We are not supportive of a scheme which is blatantly unfair to residents outside of London…We do not accept that any signage, cameras aimed at fining our drivers, potentially up to £180 if they forget to pay the £12.50 charge, should be based in Hertfordshire.’

But as we recently reported, almost a third of the UK’s charging points are in London

Image: (c) climate charity Possible.