The council’s Conservative leadership raised an emergency motion on the expansion plan at a full council meeting last Thursday (February 23).
Harrow, alongside London councils Bexley, Bromley, and Hillingdon, as well as Surrey County Council, have started a legal review to see if plans to expand the ULEZ into outer London from August are lawful. Mr Khan says the expansion will reduce emissions and improve air quality in the capital.
The Conservative-led council’s leader, Cllr Paul Osborn, called on the Labour opposition to support its decision to fight against the plans at the meeting.
He said: “We as an administration continue to believe that this is the wrong solution to the problem of clean air and at the wrong time.”
The initial legal action will cost an estimated total of £400,000, meaning Harrow residents will have to pay a bill of £80,000 – a fifth of the total as it would be split between all five councils involved – if it is not successful. The costs will be even higher if the case goes to court.
The motion called for all councillors to register their vote on the matter. Harrow Labour group leader Cllr David Perry said it would have to stay out of this issue and abstain, claiming it was “unfair” to be asked to support something they had not seen the details of.
He added: “We can’t possibly vote for or against something where there’s major legal implications and cost implications when I need the permission of leaders of other councils to see something which Harrow taxpayers money is being used for.
“When you are not, as a leader, given the information to make a recommendation to your colleagues, don’t insult our intelligence because I won’t insult theirs. I didn’t know why you had to play politics with this issue.”
The deputy leader of the council, Cllr Marilyn Ashton, accused Cllr Perry of “hiding behind process”. She said: “You don’t want to make a decision. You’re…
