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‘What a waste of time and money’ – reactions to ULEZ High Court decision pour in

Following today’s decision by the High Court that the process carried out on the proposal to expand the ULEZ was thorough, many interested parties have been quick to respond…

Dr Anna Moore, a respiratory doctor based in London: ‘Today’s verdict will help to deliver cleaner air for 5 million more Londoners. As a doctor, I see patients suffer from the effects of toxic air week in and week out. There is no organ in the body which is not harmed by air pollution. Our health service is under extraordinary pressure; waiting lists are too long, emergency services are overwhelmed. Cleaning up the air we all breathe would prevent or reduce so much illness – from diabetes to cardiovascular disease, strokes to dementia, asthma to COPD. Today’s decision will help lessen the terrible burden air pollution puts on our city’s health and healthcare system.’

Dr Mark Hayden, a consultant paediatrician from London, said: ‘What a waste of time and money that could have been better spent on improving cycling and walking infrastructure and new bus routes. We need more YIMBYs and less NIMBYs if we want clean air and a liveable planet.’

Professor Frank Kelly, Battcock Chair in Community Health and Policy, Imperial College London: ‘I’m very pleased that today’s verdict means there will be no delays to London taking the action it so desperately needs to take to tackle toxic air. Londoners in every single borough of our city breathe air that breaches World Health Organization (WHO) limits for toxic air pollution and jeopardises their heath. Expanding the ULEZ to outer London will give millions more Londoners the chance to breathe cleaner air. I commend London for trusting the science and taking us one step closer to a better future where all Londoners have safe, clean air to breathe.’

Sarah Woolnough, chief executive at Asthma + Lung UK: ‘We’re pleased that the ULEZ expansion will go ahead as planned. The ULEZ scheme has successfully lowered levels of nitrogen dioxide in the air and expanding it to greater London will mean more Londoners will experience the health benefits of reduced pollution. Road transport is the leading cause of air pollution in our towns and cities. For people living with lung conditions, such as COPD and asthma, harmful pollutants trigger symptoms including breathlessness, coughing and wheezing, and in more severe cases these flare-ups can result in hospitalisation. The ULEZ expansion is a positive step towards cleaner air across the city, allowing Londoners to breathe more easily.’

Andrew Pendleton, Deputy CEO and Director of Strategy and Advocacy, said: I am delighted to hear of today’s verdict, which is a win for common sense and a fantastic step in the right direction towards the kind of London we all want to see: one which is fairer, more thriving and more sustainable for generations to come. The expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone to outer London will protect millions more people from the devastating health impacts of toxic air, which include heart disease, strokes, asthma and dementia. All Londoners deserve clean air, and today’s decision is a promise of a better, healthier future for London.”

Larissa Lockwood, Director of Clean Air, said: ‘All Londoners deserve clean air. Today’s verdict is fantastic news for our health, our city and our future. Toxic air affects every organ in the human body, harming our physical and mental health from the first breath we take to the last. Levels of air pollution in our capital are still too high, and London will continue to be a global leader on tackling this problem with the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone. This is a vital next step to ensuring we live in the type of city we all want to share: one which is healthy, thriving and sustainable.’

UK Health Alliance on Climate Change: ‘The ULEZ expansion decision is a win for health, all our health. Today we’ve taken a step further towards a cleaner, greener & healthier London. We now call on councils to come together to make London a better place to live… by supporting active travel wherever possible. Further, we call on the national government to provide further support for TfL and the scrappage scheme etc.’

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chris
chris
1 year ago

So, who said “‘What a waste of time and money’ “?

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