Sutton Council in south-west London has launched a petition among residents to protest against new restrictions on vehicle emissions.

It gained more than 800 signatures in the first few hours and will be presented to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan who is leading the plan to extend the ULEZ (ultra-low emission zone) area.

The new bigger boundary is due to take effect in August to cover all of Greater London, which includes Sutton.

Under the scheme, launched in 2019, a fee is charged for driving the most polluting vehicles into the area covered.

The Liberal Democrat-run council says the expanded scheme should be halted unless ‘public transport in the borough is improved significantly, the vehicle scrappage scheme for drivers to convert their cars to ULEZ requirements is expanded and the cost of living crisis is over.’

Council leader Ruth Dombey announced the petition, being run by online specialists 38 Degrees, at a meeting of councillors to discuss the impact of the scheme on the borough’s residents, businesses, suppliers and visitors.

The petition says: ‘The Mayor of London needs to hear now why rushing ahead with the expansion of the ULEZ in August 2023 is wrong for our area’ and outlines the council’s demands.

Sutton Council leader Ruth Dombey said: ‘I urge everyone impacted by the ULEZ scheme, whether residents, businesses, students, visitors and suppliers to sign our new petition for the Mayor of London to rethink his ULEZ expansion.’

She added: ‘Now we have just a few months left to show the Mayor the strength of feeling in Sutton before the ULEZ is imposed on our borough against our wishes.

‘Please spread the word to everyone you know and ask them to sign our petition.’