Hillingdon Council has spent almost half a million pounds on ULEZ fees since the expansion of the zone in 2023 because of its ageing and polluting vehicle fleet. Data obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) indicates that the council taxpayer has footed a bill of £499,090 in ULEZ fees due to non-compliant vehicles.
Council Fleet Composition
The council's current fleet consists of 295 vehicles. Of those, just three are electric powered and six are hybrid. The remaining 286 are all diesel vehicles, and 26 of those are non-compliant. However, instead of replacing them with low or zero emissions vehicles, the council has purchased new diesel vehicles which it says offer the 'best balance of performance and value for money'.
Climate Emergency Commitment
This is despite the council declaring a climate emergency in January 2020 and committing to prioritising reducing its carbon footprint to limit the worst impacts of climate change. In April, the Corporate Resources and Infrastructure Committee was told that the high cost for electric models is a key barrier to replacing ageing vehicles with more eco-friendly alternatives. The council considers electric models of waste collection trucks to be particularly expensive.
Political Reaction
Cllr Stuart Mathers, Leader of Hillingdon Labour, told the LDRS that he believes the Conservative-led council has been too slow on the issue. He said: 'Hillingdon Labour has consistently supported stronger action to meet net zero commitments and the modernisation of the council's fleet to reduce maintenance costs. We have argued for several years for a faster move towards lower-emission vehicles, but the Conservative council has been slow to react. Their approach reflects yet again a council on the back foot when it comes to finances and being prepared. Good councils plan ahead, reducing costs and improving efficiency before challenges arise, rather than responding to them afterwards.'
ULEZ Charges and New Vehicles
Due to these issues, the council is incurring ULEZ charges of 'between £6,500 and £8,000 per month' for 26 older, non-compliant vehicles. To address this, a decision was made to procure 32 new emissions-compliant diesel vehicles, however it is unclear when they will come into service. Council documents note that electric waste collection trucks are considerably expensive. While trials of electric refuse vehicles have shown positive results, 'infrastructure limitations and capital costs remained the main barriers to wider adoption in the short term', the council said.
Environmental Group Criticism
Phil Page, Coordinator of Hillingdon Friends of the Earth's Council Liaison Group and Transport Subgroup, said: 'We are trying to work with the council to encourage their movement to an electric fleet. Since only three out of over 300 vehicles in their fleet are currently electric, they are way behind other London boroughs. It's frustrating that they are being held back by their lack of charging infrastructure; we have suggested a number of ways around it but with no success so far.'
Council Response
A Hillingdon Council spokesperson said: 'The council has long believed the ULEZ expansion places unfair additional financial strain on residents and businesses. As one of London's largest boroughs, with one of the capital's longest road networks, Hillingdon needs a substantial and varied fleet, including specialist vehicles, to deliver essential services across greater distances. While electric vehicle technology is improving, diesel still offers the best balance of performance and value for money versus investment for parts of the fleet. The council is phasing out older vehicles to ensure the fleet is as efficient as possible and as a result, ULEZ costs are continuing to decrease, and all vehicles will be ULEZ compliant by the end of the year.'
Charging Infrastructure Challenges
Another issue for the council is a lack of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across the borough. Across Hillingdon, residents have raised concerns about on-street parking being converted into EV charging bays - this led to four of eight new chargers being removed after installation. The council is exploring alternative solutions such as lamppost charging. Whilst the council has purchased 32 new ULEZ compliant vehicles in the short term, documents indicate that significant infrastructure improvement is needed over the coming years.
