The mayor of London has launched a scrappage scheme for heavy goods vehicles operated by charities and small businesses in advance of the tighter Low Emission Zone (LEZ) standards, which will come into force on 1 March 2021.

The scheme offers grants of £15,000 to scrap a heavy vehicle and replace it with a compliant vehicle, or to retrofit diesel vehicles up to the cleanest Euro VI standards. More than 100 organisations have already pre-registered interest in the scheme, which will operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Other businesses or charities are encouraged to apply early for a greater chance to benefit from the grants as funding is limited.