Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, has increased the Ultra Low Emission (ULEZ) scrappage payments for charities operating in the capital.
In January, Khan launched a £110m scrappage scheme “to support Londoners on lower incomes, disabled Londoners, charities and small businesses and sole traders”.
Under the scheme, eligible charities can apply to scrap or retrofit up to three vans or minibuses.
From 21 August, the scrappage payment for vans will increase from £5,000 to £7,000 while grants for scrapping minibuses will rise from £7,000 to £9,000.
This comes after the High Court last month ruled that Khan’s proposal to expand the ULEZ London-wide, which will go ahead on 29 August, was lawful.
Increased payments
Khan said that he will use £50m from City Hall’s reserves to fund the expansion of the scrappage scheme, bringing the total funding pot to £160m.
Overall, eligible charities will be able to receive up to £27,000 in grants to scrap up to three minibuses and can already apply for £7,000 grants to scrap non-compliant vans.
To be eligible, charities need to be registered with the Charity Commission at an address within Greater London to be eligible for the scheme.
A London City Hall spokesperson said: “If they are registered with the Charity Commission at an address outside Greater London they will need to prove that they have an operating address within Greater London.
“There is also a temporary exemption until October 2025 for not-for-profit organisations, including charities, but also schools and local authorities, operating community transport minibuses. Any charity can register for this regardless of whether they are registered to a London address.”
More information on the scrappage scheme can be found here.
Charities: Extension will save us money
The Community Transport Association told Civil Society that it “welcomes any additional funding to support community transport providers to replace vehicles and ensure they are compliant”.
Gabby Machell, chief executive of learning disability charity LDN London, said: “Our minibuses are vital when supporting people who can’t use public transport because of their physical and learning disabilities, sensory needs and autism, or where they struggle with accessing or using it.
“Having a minibus means we can help people go to health appointments, go out for group activities, go on holidays or for day trips, and occasionally support people to move house.
“Extending TFL’s scrappage scheme will help save us money and to affordably replace our minibuses, be more environmentally friendly and to continue to support children and adults with learning disabilities and physical disabilities to travel freely and comfortably across London.
“It will mean people we support can continue to travel easily and enjoy all that London has to offer. As a London-based charity we welcome measures to protect our community, including people with learning disabilities, by reducing air pollution and looking after the environment.”
Tim Dexter, clean air lead at Asthma + Lung UK, also welcomed the news, adding: “The increased support will particularly help small businesses and charities transition to cleaner, greener modes of transport.
“The ULEZ is about reducing the number of polluting vehicles on the road and helping every Londoner breathe cleaner air, including the estimated 585,000 people living with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease living across London. Schemes like ULEZ are proven to reduce air pollution – a public health emergency contributing to 4000 early deaths in London every year.
“We know there have been concerns about the financial impact of these schemes, which is why we've been calling for the UK government to commit to a cleaner travel access fund to help people transition to cleaner transport. Adequate financial support is essential to ensure schemes like the ULEZ and other clean air zones around the UK are a success.”
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