The Mayor of London has urged Kent to create its own scrappage scheme to help people cope with the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) expansion.

Sadiq Khan has consistently defended his plan, which he argues will help prevent health conditions related to air pollution and even excess deaths, despite fierce opposition from councils in surrounding areas.

The expansion this month brings Ulez across all Greater London boroughs and up to the border with Kent and other Home Counties – all of which he is urging take steps to bring in scrappage schemes.

It imposes a £12.50 a day charge for any vehicle which does not meet the Euro 4 (for petrol) or Euro 5 or 6 (for diesel) emissions' standard. Almost every petrol car registered after January 2006 and diesels after 2015 should be exempt.

However, for those that are not, there is currently no support for those who regularly visit the capital, such as those who work there, but do not live in London.

It comes after the Labour mayor opened up Transport for London’s (TfL) scrappage scheme to residents with a non-compliant vehicle.

This will enable Londoners to scrap their non-compliant vehicles in exchange for £2,000 for cars and £1,000 for motorbikes towards a new vehicle.

Speaking to the Evening Standard, Mr Khan called on the Home Counties to take steps of their own. He said: “One of the things I’m disappointed by is rather than their council supporting them with the scrappage scheme and lobbying the government, they would rather spend money on court fees and lawyers. More than £1 million wasted.

“Imagine how many vehicles could have been scrapped and how many residents could have been supported?

“What I say to those county councils outside London is two things: One is you should be supporting your residents like Merton Council and others have been doing.

“Secondly, the government is your government and party. Why don’t you join me on a cross-party basis to lobby this government?”

Merton Council, which is run by Labour, announced this week it would launch its own scrappage scheme.

Five conservative-led councils, not including Kent County Council, launched a legal campaign earlier this year against the Mayor of London's plans.

However, the High Court ruled last month the zone can expand up to the Kent border, which will force drivers of older more polluting vehicles to pay to go into areas like Bexley and Bromley.

When it was first introduced, the zone covered the Congestion Charge area in central London, then was enlarged in October 2021.

It will now expand again to the border with the home counties, including Kent, on August 29.

Kent County Council leader Roger Gough has urged Mr Khan to scrap any expansion which would affect Kent residents and threatened legal action pending the outcome of the judicial review – which has now found in the mayor’s favour.

In reaction to the announcement of a wider scrappage system, he says it “reinforces our concern that mitigations are available to London residents but not Kent and other around London residents who will be hit by Ulez - and so TfL will be funded by charges on our residents”.