The Mayor of London has announced he will double payments for his van scrappage scheme to £7,000, with £9,500 also now available to those switching to electric vans. The increased funding will enable more van owners to switch to cleaner vehicles, while helping businesses prepare for the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) up to the north and south circular next year, and the tightening of the London-wide Low Emission Zone standards this October.

The Mayor has announced that he is broadening the eligibility for the van scrappage scheme so that more businesses can benefit. Previously firms with fewer than 10 employees, defined as micro businesses, were eligible. Now small businesses, those with 50 or fewer employees, are also included.

To help clean up the heavy vehicle fleet, the van scrappage scheme will open to small businesses operating heavy vehicles later this year. TfL is finalising the details of the scheme, but it is expected that it will be in the form of a grant of around £15,000 for each polluting heavy vehicle, up to a maximum of three vehicles.

To further support businesses to prepare for the ULEZ, as well as to help clean up local high streets, the Mayor is also announcing today a further £1.75million in London economic action partnership (LEAP) funding to deliver six more business-led Low Emission Neighbourhoods.

Projects to be funded include the installation of one of the UK’s first ultra-fast electric vehicle charging depots in partnership with EON, providing multiple fast charging points, and the provision of additional zero emissions delivery services.

These projects have so far delivered targeted pollution-busting measures in pollution hotspots across London, such as the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Streets in Shoreditch, a 16 per cent reduction in older more polluting vehicles parking in the Marylebone LEN, and new clean air routes to destinations such as Guys Hospital and Regents Park which help pedestrians reduce their exposure to pollution by up to 60 per cent.