If you’ve just been hit with a £300 bill from Croydon Council just for the “privilege” of parking your car near your home, or even if you’ve seen the previous £80 a year residents’ parking permit fee more than double, then help could be at hand.

Time to scrap the old jalopy?

Londoners are being encouraged to bid for a share of City Hall’s newly opened £25million polluting vehicle scrappage fund, which provides up to £2,000 a time for scrapping older, more polluting cars.

The scheme is aimed at helping low-income and disabled Londoners.

The fund has been launched by the Mayor of London ahead of the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which will reach the North and South Circulars in 2021. It offers those motorists in the capital who receive benefits either £1,000 for scrapping a motorcycle or moped, or £2,000 for scrapping a car.

This comes alongside a previously announced £23million City Hall fund targeted at micro-businesses, charities and sole traders who are looking to scrap older vans.

A recent City Hall report has revealed that since the introduction of the ULEZ across Central London in April, air pollution levels within the zone have dropped by a third.

Research from King’s College London has shown that air pollution contributes to the premature deaths of almost 10,000 Londoners every year.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan: £48m for two scrappage funds to get cars off London’s roads

“I’m glad that the Mayor has now opened this fund to provide low-income and disabled Londoners with help to scrap and replace their older and more polluting vehicles,” said Tom Copley, the Labour Assembly Member.

“Air pollution contributes to the premature deaths of thousands of Londoners every year, as well as triggering asthma and breathing difficulties. The Mayor has introduced many measures to clean up London’s toxic air, such as the roll-out of the ULEZ and increasing the capital’s electric bus fleet.

“Some Londoners need help to change their vehicle, so I do urge everyone to check if they are eligible for this funding.”

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