London low emission streets: All you need to know about the first petrol and diesel car ban on east London roads

A groundbreaking scheme banning all petrol and diesel cars from roads in east London is set to launch on Monday.

The UK’s first ‘electric streets’ scheme will see drivers fined for using anything other than electric or hybrid models on nine designated roads around Shoreditch and Old Street.

It is aimed at cutting pollution in the area and improving the currently dangerous levels of air pollution.

London Assembly member Caroline Russell said: “Islington and Hackney have seized the opportunity to give people a really strong message about taking pollution seriously and to show the scale of London’s health emergency.”

During peak hours, nine roads in Hackney and Islington will be restricted to ultra-low emissions vehicles only – meaning those that emit less than 75/kg of CO2.

That means drivers of anything other than electric cars and the newest hybrids and hydrogen vehicles will be banned from the streets.

The restrictions will be in place between 7am-10am and 4pm-7pm on weekdays – with £130 fines issued to anyone who flouts them.

The scheme is being funded by Sadiq Khan’s air quality fund and the government’s go ultra low city scheme.

The affected roads under the new scheme are Blackall Street, Cowper Street, Paul Street, Tabernacle Street, Ravey Street, Singer Street, Willow Street, Charlotte Road and Rivington Street.

The measures are the toughest restrictions yet on polluting vehicles in the capital.

Sadiq Khan and London councils have been under pressure to act to improve London’s dangerously poor air quality.

The EU legal limit for nitrogen dioxide is an annual average of 40 micrograms per cubic metre of air but this was breached at more than 50 monitoring sites in London last year.

Feryal Demirci, the deputy mayor of Hackney, said: “Failing to act on poor air quality, which causes nearly 10,000 premature deaths across London every year, is not an option, and that’s why we’re being bolder than ever in our efforts to tackle it.

“We’re thrilled to be launching our ultra-low emissions streets – the first of their kind in the UK – which will reclaim the streets from polluting petrol and diesel vehicles, and improve the area for thousands of people every day.”

Claudia Webbe, Islington council’s executive member for environment and transport, said: “Air pollution is a huge issue for Islington residents… and we are proud to be leading from the front to tackle this life or death issue.

“This ground-breaking proposal for ‘electric streets’ – the first of its kind in the UK – will prioritise low-pollution transport such as electric cars and cut polluting vehicles during peak hours in the streets surrounding Central Foundation Boys school in Islington – the most polluted state secondary in London.”

The City of London Corporation is planning to launch a similar trial in April, limiting access to Moor Lane, near Moorgate, to ultra-low emission vehicles.

Successful motoring policies in Greater London are often copied elsewhere across the capital, so there could well be similar schemes launched in the future.