GLA refutes 'moving the goalposts' over LEZ

The Greater London Authority (GLA) has refuted claims that it 'moved the goalposts' by insisting that machines exempt from the London Low Emission Zone (LEZ) are covered by the Best Practice Guide (BPG) - including the need to fit diesel particulate filters.

A GLA spokeswoman told CJ the policy has not changed and that the BPG was developed in parallel to the LEZ and the schemes were designed to be complementary.

"There is no connection between exemptions from the LEZ and exemptions from the Best Practice Guide," she said.

She said the Eligible Equipment List was "withdrawn in March 2008, as it became clear from evidence in other countries, that there were no generic types of equipment that could not be fitted with abatement equipment. Therefore the list was not needed".

"Plant owners can apply for specific exemptions, where abatement equipment cannot be fitted, but there are unlikely to be many types of equipment where this is the case."