The Conservative group of councillors at Crawley Borough Council have expressed their dismay at their Labour counterparts for imposing a ‘wrecking amendment’, that stopped Crawley Borough Council voting to oppose the expansion of the London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).  London Mayor Sidiq Khan is planning to expand the existing ULEZ that currently runs between the North and South Circular Roads in London, to cover the whole of London from 29 August this year.

Crawley’s Full Council meeting on Wednesday evening was due to debate a motion put forward by Conservative group leader Duncan Crow (Furnace Green) and fellow Conservative councillor Richard Burrett (Pound Hill North and Forge Wood), wanting Crawley Borough Council to formally oppose the London ULEZ expansion and to make representations to the London Mayor urging him to reconsider.

An amendment tabled by Labour Council leader Michael Jones  sought a four-month delay, so that the motion would instead be debated at the next Full Council meeting in late July, just a few weeks before the ULEZ comes into effect in late August.  A recorded vote saw this amendment carried, with every councillor from the majority Labour group backing the four-month delay, meaning they wouldn’t have to express a view on the London ULEZ expansion before Crawley’s local elections on 4 May.

Cllr Duncan Crow said, “This is a deeply cynical stunt by the Labour leadership at Crawley town hall.  Crawley residents who are going to be forced to pay £12.50 each time to drive over the border into London including Heathrow, need to know which councillors are on their side.  This was the only opportunity ahead of Crawley’s local elections on May 4th for Crawley to express a view and to lobby the London Mayor in good time before the ULEZ expansion happens, which many other councils close to London have already done.”

Cllr Crow added, “Labour’s wrecking amendment to ‘want more information’ to help them form a view is incredulous.  Crawley Labour councillors instantly criticise every new government policy on social media, but somehow we are supposed to believe they have no view on the London ULEZ expansion?  It’s obvious that Crawley Labour secretly support ULEZ expansion and won’t disagree with the Labour Mayor of London, but they won’t say so in public ahead of Crawley’s local elections in order to not risk losing votes.  The Conservative position is very clear, our candidates in the Crawley local elections oppose the ULEZ expansion.”   

Duncan Crow

Councillor for Furnace Green

Leader of the Crawley Borough Council Conservative Group 

Attachment is a copy of the original motion submitted.