CRP Partners Support T-charge

Letter to the Editor, published by AirQualityNews.com, from Cross River Partnership partners, including:

• Penny Alexander, Chief Executive, Baker Street Quarter Partnership
• Peter Williams, Chief Executive, Better Bankside BID
• Simon Pitkeathley, Chief Executive, Camden Town Unlimited and Euston Town BIDs
• Lee Lyons, Chief Operating Officer, The Fitzrovia Partnership
• James Sackley, Project Manager, Hatton Garden BID
• Cllr Lib Peck, Leader of Lambeth Council
• Kay Buxton, Chief Executive, Marble Arch BID
• Dee Corsi, Chief Operating Officer, New West End Company
• Nadia Broccardo, Chief Executive, Team London Bridge
• Aseem Sheikh, Chair, VauxhallOne BID
• David Beamont, Operations Manager, Victoria BID
• Ben Stephenson, Chief Executive, WeAreWaterloo BID
• Cllr David Harvey, Cabinet Member for Environment, Sports and Community, Westminster City Council

Dear Editor

Support for Mayor’s new T-Charge

As business groups and local authorities based in and around central London we strongly welcome the introduction of T-charge on the 23rd October.

Air pollution is not only bad for our health, it’s bad for business. If we want to continue to attract and keep staff, investment, tourists, and major international conferences and events to London we need to address the air pollution crisis. Furthermore, by addressing this issue, and making London’s air cleaner and its environment more pleasant, we can give ourselves the edge over other world cities, which is even more important in the wake of Brexit.

The T-charge is the start of a step change in London that will be good for people and good for business. It’s just the beginning of the action that we need to see. We need to see the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in place and expanded as soon as possible, and we strongly welcome the Mayor of London’s proposal to introduce the ULEZ in April 2019, and to expand it shortly thereafter.

As business groups and local authorities we want to play our part in ensuring our staff and customers have a safe and healthy environment, and we welcome this leadership from the Mayor. We are also calling on the Government to step up and play their part. We need Government support for diesel scrappage to help small to medium sized businesses switch to ULEZ-compliant vehicles, and much better incentives need to be in place at the national level to support businesses in making the switch to zero emission vehicles.‎

We are looking forward to enjoying a cleaner healthier business environment in London – and this is something that we all need to play our part to achieve.

Yours sincerely,
Susannah Wilks
Director
Cross River Partnership

On behalf of 12 central London Business Improvement Districts and 2 Boroughs.