HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

JOINT HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORT PANEL

THURSDAY 25th JANUARY 2007 AT 6.30PM

LONDON LOW EMISSION ZONE - CONSULTATION RESPONSE

Report of the Director of Environment

Author: Tina GiggTel: 01992 588618

Executive Member:- Stuart Pile

  1. Purpose of report

1.1The purpose of this report is to inform the Joint Member Panel about the Transport for London(TfL) consultation around the scheme orders for the proposed London Low Emission Zone, and the County Council’s response to this consultation.

  1. Summary

2.1The scheme orders for the proposed London Low Emission Zone have been out for consultation since 13 November 2006, with a deadline for consultation responses by 2 February 2007. All Local Authorities that border London should have been consulted separately.

2.2The County Council responded to a previous round of consultation in April 2006, around the “Draft Revisions to the Mayor’s Transport and Air Quality Strategies: London Low Emission Zone”, highlighting the impacts on local bus services and local small businesses. County Council officers also met with TfL representatives in November 2006 to discuss the scheme boundaries and advance signing on County Council maintained roads.

2.3The implications that this low emission zone could have on Hertfordshire can be found in Section 4 below and in the County Council’s formal response to this consultation which can be found in Appendix 1.

3.Background

3.1TFL are proposing a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) for the Greater London Authority Area to try and tackle London’s air quality problems.

3.2The need for the LEZ is driven by European and domestic legislation requiring the government and local authorities to tackle air quality where levels of pollutants exceed defined limits. It is also driven by strong public concern about poor air quality and a desire to see it improve.

3.3London has a serious air pollution problem associated particularly with airborne particulates and nitrogen oxides. The situation is worst in central London, along transport corridors and surrounding Heathrow. Road traffic is a major source of emissions and London is proposing the LEZ alongside a number of other measures, for example, the taxi and bus strategies to improve air quality across the capital.

3.4Poor air quality in London is resulting in premature deaths and admissions to hospital for Londoners and it affects the most vulnerable sectors of society disproportionately i.e. the very young and the very old.

The proposal

  • The LEZ would cover greater London, i.e. it will include the area of all London Boroughs and operate all day every day.
  • The LEZ would apply a set of emissions standards to defined groups of vehicles. The standards will be based on the European engine emissions standards (3, 4 or III, IV). The Euro III standard became mandatory for all newly manufactured HGV’s, buses and coaches in the EU in October 2001, therefore a vehicle should be Euro III compliant if first registered on or after 1 October 2001. For Euro IV standard, vehicles first registered on or after 1 October 2006 would be assumed to be Euro IV compliant. There may be exemptions for vehicles having RPCs (Reduced Pollution Certification) due to the fitting of recognised abatement equipment.
  • The introduction of the LEZ will be phased starting firstly with Heavy Goods Vehicles, buses and coaches in 2008 (being Euro III compliant), followed by minibuses and light goods vehicles in 2010. In 2012, HGV’s, buses and coaches would need to be Euro IV compliant to drive in the LEZ at no charge.
  • Non-compliant vehicles would be required to pay a charge to enter the zone. Non-payers would receive a penalty charge.
  • The scheme would be enforced by Automatic Number Plate Recognition Cameras similar to those used for enforcing the congestion charge.
  • Key diversionary routes (e.g. M25) and other sections of trunk roads penetrating the GLA as far as convenient turning points for large vehicles would be excluded.
  • The original proposal was consulted on in January 2006 and the above proposal incorporates changes from this process.
  • TFL intend to implement the LEZ using Scheme Order powers under the Greater London Authority Act. Consultation on the draft order began on 13 November 2006 and closes on 2 February 2007. The scheme would start in February 2008 for heavier lorries.
  1. Implications for Hertfordshire

Implementation of the London Low Emission Zone could have the following implications for Hertfordshire:

  • Increased traffic from vehicles choosing to divert through the county rather than drive through London. TfL have set out their expectations in terms of diverted traffic, in that the M25 would be the obvious and primary diversion route for traffic wishing to avoid London. Modelling has suggested that it is unlikely that there would be any great impact on traffic volumes on local roads.
  • Impact on contract bus services taking Hertfordshire residents (primarily school children) to schools just over the county boundary within the LEZ (5 services affected). TFL have confirmed that all vehicles would need to conform to the standards although a limited number of exemptions may apply. TFL have recommended suggesting short-term exemptions for services for vulnerable groups but it would need evidence in support of the case i.e. how long would it take to order a new compliant vehicle. Vehicles turning around on private property just over the LEZ boundaries would not have to be compliant i.e. at Northwood Station or Mount VernonHospital.
  • The County Council has noted that from October 2010 minibuses will need to be compliant up to Euro III (for particulate matter) if they wish to enter the Low Emission Zone and not be charged. This could have a considerable impact on community transport schemes within Hertfordshire that travel over the border into London.
  • TFL arealso keen to hear about other ‘unforeseen impacts’ of the scheme. The potential impact of the LEZ is much wider and could affect the following County Council services:

-Hertfordshire Supplies,

-CountyTransport Services,

-Adult Care Services,

-Dial-a-ride,

-Mobile libraries, and

-Fire service.

A detailed response on how the London LEZ will impact on Hertfordshire can be found in the County Council’s formal response to the consultation which has been included as Appendix 1.

  1. Conclusion

Hertfordshire County Council will be formally responding to the consultation by 2 February 2007. The County Council can incorporate comments from district/borough councils into its response if comments are received no later than 31 January 2007.

Appendix 1

London Low Emission Zone

Transport for London, 12th Floor

Windsor HouseCounty Hall

42 – 50 Victoria StreetPegs Lane

LondonHertford SG13 8DN

SW1H 0TLFax: 01992 588601

Telephone: 01992 588618

Email:

My ref: P5/TG/179/236/02

Your ref:

Date : 26 January 2007

Dear Sir/Madam

CONSULTATION ON THE SCHEME ORDER FOR A GREATER LONDON LOW EMISSION ZONE

Thank you for giving Hertfordshire County Council the opportunity to comment on the scheme orders for the London Low Emission Zone. The County Council also welcomed the chance to speak to TfL back in November around the scheme orders, and advance signing that would be needed on principal roads in Hertfordshire.

Having received and digested the stakeholder pack the County Council would like to raise the following issues:

1)The County Council is concerned that the provision of some home to school transport services across the boundary will not be sustainable with the LEZ proposals. The reasons being, that distances travelled by these services across these boundaries are very short, with only one journey morning and evening. The additional costs spread over such a short operation cannot be borne by either the parents or in some cases the local authority sponsoring the service. These types of routes are predominantly run by smaller operators with less ability to bear the costs of compliance. For example, the County Council runs the 857 school route to Northwood school (just over the county boundary in Northwood) and the current service would not be able to continue when the current contract expires in July 2008. This would result in increased congestion as parents transferred to cars to transport their children to school.

2)Following on from the above comment, to allow operators, local authorities and schools to adapt, the low emission zone should be introduced at the end of the academic year i.e. the end of July not the beginning.

3)The County Council would like confirmation that non-compliant bus services can turn around on private property that is just within the zone on the edge of the LEZ boundary zone, without being penalised. For example, bus services accessing Northwood Station or Mount VernonHospital.

4)The County Council has noted that from October 2010 minibuses will need to be compliant up to Euro III (for particulate matter). This could have a considerable impact on community transport schemes within Hertfordshire that travel over the border into London. Many charitable organisations within the county run minibuses to transport Hertfordshire residents e.g. Hertfordshire Action on Disability, but can only afford to purchase older vehicles and will not be able to bear the additional cost of either upgrading their vehicles or fitting abatement equipment.

5)The potential impact of the LEZ is much wider than originally anticipated and could impact on a number of the County Council’s own vehicles such as: Hertfordshire Supplies; County Transport Services; Adult Care Services; Dial-a-ride; Mobile Libraries and the Fire Service. This could put additional pressures on the County Council’s own budget to make sure such vehicles are compliant.

6)The County Council have already had discussions with TfL around boundary signing and advance signing, which the Council supports (proposals indicate that Hertfordshire will only have 1 advance sign along the A10, near junction 25 of the M25). Please note that Hertfordshire County Council is open to other advance signing sites in the county.

7)TfL consultation material has requested views on the inclusion of motorways in the LEZ. Hertfordshire County Council would suggest that both motorways and trunk roads are included in the proposals to ensure consistency of coverage. However, this would be subject to sufficient turning places at the LEZ boundary so that non-compliant vehicles do not end up rat-running through local road networks. In particular Hertfordshire would be concerned with vehicles turning on the M1.

8)Recent discussions with TfL have highlighted a boundary issue at the Enfield/ Hertfordshire border at Junction 25 of the M25. Transport for London has suggested that the Low Emission Zone start from the southern side of Bulls Moor Lane in Enfield, so that non-compliant vehicles can use Bulls Moor lane to turn around and choose an alternative route. The London Borough of Enfield have pointed out that vehicles travelling south on the A10 will reach the Bulls Moor Lane junction on the A10 and assume that they can turn both left and right at this junction to turn around. If vehicles turn right this will take them onto minor C roads, therefore the London Borough of Enfield have suggested that the Low Emission Zone start from the southern side of the M25 at junction 25. This however will have implications for Hertfordshire as this means any non-compliant vehicles wanting to access Bulls Cross Ride will need to travel into the Low Emission Zone. Bulls Cross Ride is within Hertfordshire’s boundaries and this change in boundary could impact on a local equestrian centre whose horse boxes may use this road to access their business, and those with motor homes who use the local camp site.

Hertfordshire County Council awaits the results of this consultation, as a successful LEZ implemented in London, could influence future decisions of implementing LEZs in Hertfordshire.

Yours sincerely

Tina Gigg

Assistant Engineer

Transportation Planning & Policy

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