Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has expanded the scrappage scheme for London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone to enable all Londoners with non-compliant vehicles to access the grants.

The scrappage scheme will be massively widened to every Londoner affected by ULEZ along with a host of other changes

The move comes a week after Khan won a High Court battle, clearing the way for the controversial scheme to roll out to all London boroughs on 29 August despite an attempt by five London councils to stop the expansion.

The scheme, which charges owners of older, more polluting vehicles £12.50 a day to drive them within the zone, will now progress as planned despite political pressure.

The Mayor said expanding the ULEZ was “a difficult but necessary decision” and pledged not to step back from tackling air quality and taking climate action to safeguard the health and future of every Londoner.

The enhanced scrappage programme will mean that grants of up to £2,000 will be available to every single Londoner with a non-compliant car or motorcycle.

Khan also announced that the scrappage payment for vans will increase from £5,000 to £7,000. Small businesses and sole traders will be able to scrap three vans or minibuses in addition to increasing retrofit payments from £5,000 to £6,000.

Additional support will also be available to charities with increased payments available for minibuses from £7,000 to £9,000, and disabled Londoners will see wheelchair adapted vehicle grants double.

The extra support takes the previous £110m cost for the grants to £160m; the extra £50m is being paid out of City Hall’s reserves.

The announcement follows Labour’s defeat in last month’s Uxbridge byelection, with many – including Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his shadow team – blaming the loss on the Labour Mayor’s plans to expand the ULEZ.

Khan has now said he’s “not prepared to step back, delay or water down the ULEZ policy” – and pointed to the “toxic air damaging the health of millions of Londoners and the need to tackle the climate crisis”.

Data shows air pollution in London is an urgent health crisis, responsible for around 4,000 premature deaths in the capital each year and leading children to grow up with stunted lungs and adults to develop a whole host of illnesses – from asthma to heart disease, cancer and dementia.

Khan’s official also say that 90% of cars seen driving in outer London on an average day are already compliant – and that a search of online vehicle retailers on 3 August 2023 revealed that there are nearly 5,000 ULEZ compliant cars for sale for under £2,000 within 200 miles of central London on one major vehicle trading site alone – with more being added all the time.

The Mayor also reiterated his call on the Government to provide money for people in the areas outside London to scrap their vehicles, in the way they have done across the country.

The scrappage scheme will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Car and motorcycle scrappage funds were initially prioritised for low-income and disabled Londoners to ensure those that needed it most had early access to support.

Alongside the scrappage scheme, a range of support offers are available for anyone making the transition to cleaner, greener transport, including savings on hire and subscription services for bikes, e-bikes, cargo bikes and e-scooters, and discounts on car clubs alongside many other deals.

Khan said: “As we continue to build a greener and healthier London for everyone, I’m determined that no Londoner and no London business is left behind. We need to take people with us on the path to a sustainable future. We are ensuring that help is now available for everyone – and I urge Londoners to come and get it.”

Christina Calderato, TfL’s director of strategy and policy, said: “We know the significant positive impact that ULEZ has made already since its launch in 2019 in helping to tackle the air pollution that contributes to life-changing diseases, such as cancer, lung disease, dementia and asthma. We are now getting ready to expand the scheme London-wide on the 29 August, which will bring the benefits of ULEZ to a further 5 million Londoners living in outer London, where over half of the deaths attributable to air pollution occur.

“Nine out of ten cars seen driving in outer London on an average day are already compliant with ULEZ standards and will not have to pay the charge. The expansion of the scrappage scheme means that the remaining minority of Londoners who need to drive and don’t have a car that meets the standards now have access to financial support to make the green transition. The proposed £50m increase in funding, taking the total pot to £160m, will also mean more small businesses and sole traders can take advantage of scrappage and retrofit grant increases, as well as there being additional support available for registered charities.”