GLASGOW'S low emission zone launch will go ahead despite an eleventh hour court challenge brought by a local business.
Less than 24 hours before enforcement was set to begin in an area of Glasgow city centre, a ruling by the Court of Session in Edinburgh could have put a temporary halt to the scheme.
An announcement that the council was to be taken to court over its plans came just hours before a media call organised by Glasgow City Council.
The LEZ, which runs from the River Clyde in the south, High Street/Saltmarket in the east and the M8 to the north and west, is to come into force for private vehicles from June 1.
Glasgow is one of four areas in Scotland which will introduce Low Emission Zones (LEZs). The others are Aberdeen, Dundee, and Edinburgh. The is to reduce air pollution in highly populated areas and drive the country's goal to achieve carbon net zero by 2045.
READ MORE: Glasgow low emissions zone explained in five minutes
However, a local motor trade repair firm from the Townhead area of the city, which sits inside the zone, initiated court action claiming the move will put them out of business.
Patons Accident Repair Centre, a 60-year-old firm, said the LEZ could wipe out more than one-third of its business as it deals with a high volume of non-compliant vehicles.
However, lawyers for the firm have failed to secure an interim order to halt the enforcement phase of the LEZ that would have allowed for a judicial review.
A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council confirmed the LEZ will go ahead.
She said: “Glasgow’s LEZ will come into force as planned on the June 1, 2023.
“The application for the interim order has been refused.”
Glasgow Greens councillor Jon Molyneux said: "Tomorrow Glasgow will make a long overdue step to cleaner, safer air.
"City politicians who’ve opposed this modest LEZ need to have a have a word with themselves.
"The climate crisis demands more radical action in the years ahead, and that needs leadership, not lousy opportunism."
Opposition councillor Thomas Kerr, of the Conservative party, said the pushback against the new LEZ would continue, despite the outcome of the hearing.
Mr Kerr said: "While this last minute legal challenge might have failed, the fight is not over.
"The enforcement of the Low Emission Zone has been totally botched by the SNP-Green Council and will be devastating for livelihoods and the economy in Glasgow.
"Those who have typically acted like they know best will soon see how communities and businesses will feel the effects of failing to sensibly delay the enforcement by a year, as the Glasgow Conservatives proposed."
The LEZ means petrol vehicles that are not compliant with Euro4 standards, generally those registered before 2006, will not be allowed to enter the zone, nor will diesel vehicles in the Euro6 class, which is mostly before 2015.
Campaigners in favour of the LEZ expressed relief that it will go ahead.
Joseph Carter, Head of Asthma + Lung Scotland said: “We are pleased that the Glasgow LEZ will continue as planned.
“We know that low emission zones are one of the most effective ways to tackle air pollution caused by vehicles, quickly.
"It will mean a reduction in harmful air pollution for everyone. With one in five Scots developing a lung condition like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in their lifetime, for them, this is a day to celebrate.
"Air pollution is a public health emergency, and it requires bold political leadership to tackle this issue head on and prioritise public health now and for future generations."
Earlier this week the Scottish Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy backed calls from the local Labour group for an extension for city-based charities and volunteers to ensure their vehicles are compliant, despite Labour councillors having voted in favour of the plans.
A political spat also broke out over whether the LEZ enforcement unfairly penalising working class Glaswegians with older cars.
The scheme, the first of four low emissions zones to be launched in Scotland, has caused concern from other quarters such as the taxi industry and nighttime economy trades.
Cab drivers have, since the end of March, been allowed to apply for an exemption that would let them continue to drive current vehicles until June next year, but many have not yet applied.
READ MORE: Scotland's low emissions zones and which cars will be banned
It is expected that cab numbers will fall when the LEZ comes in to force and as it comes closer to the end of the 12 month exemption period, according to unions.
Across Scotland more than a fifth of vehicles do not meet emissions standards with the lowest compliance being among diesel cars.
Glasgow’s NO2 emissions levels are within recommended limits but are still well above the World Health Organisation air quality guideline.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel