City of Edinburgh Council's local emission zone

The Scottish Government has set targets for Low Emission Zones (LEZs) to improve air quality to be introduced across Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen between February 2022 and May 2022.

Key highlights 

• Once in place, LEZ schemes will place restrictions on the types of vehicles that are permitted to enter an LEZ zone.
• The LEZ the Council is promoting will impact on residents and businesses within the city centre.
• The delivery of the city LEZs is a complex process that engages new (untested) legislative requirements, including an extensive consultation process. Statutory guidance has evolved as the legislative processes have been undertaken, which has added an additional layer of complexity and uncertainty.
• Working closely with the in-house legal team we have provided guidance on the legislative process including detailed requirements at each stage.

Outcome 

The promotion of the LEZ is a significant development in the Council's programme to combat climate change, attracting local and national media coverage. It is an important venture for Edinburgh Council.

Our support and advice has helped ensure that the Council has achieved compliance with a complex set of statutory processes and procedures. This will help ensure that the LEZ, which requires the formal approval of Scottish Ministers, does not become the subject of a public inquiry and that is not challenged by means of judicial review.