(posted 7947 days ago)South London Press
NewsJudgment reserved in congestion charging challenge
Jul 23 2002Judgment has been reserved in a High Court challenge to Ken Livingstone's scheme to charge motorists £5 to drive into central London.
During a six-day hearing, the scheme was condemned as unlawful and likely to increase air pollution and adversely affect the quality of city life.
Westminster Council and the Kennington Association, with the backing of Kensington and Chelsea borough council, asked a judge to block the congestion charge project, which is set to be introduced in February.
Roger Henderson, QC, appearing for Westminster, accused the mayor of failing to carry out a full and efficient consultation before giving the multi-million pound scheme the go-ahead. He told Mr Justice Maurice Kay that the mayor's decision was flawed and breached human rights because he had also failed to order an environmental impact assessment, or hold a public inquiry.
Those failures meant it had been impossible to consider fully all relevant matters, including local traffic management, parking, local air quality and the effect the scheme would have on all those who lived and worked in the city.
But lawyers for the mayor argued he had discharged his legal responsibilities in "a rigorous and conscientious manner".
Charles George, QC, said Mr Livingstone had sought appropriate advice by recruiting a team of experts and by going to outside specialists on traffic and air pollution.
At the end of the hearing, the judge indicated that he would accept further submissions in writing. He is expected to give his ruling in the near future.