A legal bid to halt Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone is being launched, days before it is due to be enforced.

A motor trade repair firm in the Townhead area, which is inside the zone, says it could force them and others in the area, out of business.

Last week the Glasgow Times reported how Patons Accident Repair Centre, a 60 year-old firm, said it won’t be able to accept non-compliant vehicles into its repair shop when the LEZ is enforced which it calculates will wipe out more than one-third of its business.

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It is attempting to secure an interim order to stop the start of the enforcement phase to allow a judicial review.

The council said it is surprised by the timing as the LEZ was introduced in May 2022 with a year’s grace before it is enforced.

The firm has instructed lawyers to lodge a legal challenge to the zone, stating that official evidence on air quality means it is no longer necessary.

A report by Hilson Moran Institute was commissioned by Patons to study the impact of the LEZ phase one for buses in the city centre in place since 2018.

It concluded that the air quality improvement aims have been achieved and phase two of the LEZ, covering cars and other commercial vehicles, will not lead to any further improvement in air quality.

The council has maintained that the progress of phase one needs to be built on to further reduce pollution levels as the most polluted streets have started to show an increase.

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However, Patons said the report, which analysed the air quality monitoring stations in the city shows a trend analysis that is downwards for pollution which is expected to continue without phase two.

Glasgow Times:

William Paton, company director, said: “The evidence shows there is no need for phase two.  The city has met the targets.

“The council knows the impact this will have but is pressing on regardless.”

The challenge aims to secure an urgent hearing on Monday and then seek an interim order to stop the LEZ being enforced on June 1.

The aim then is for a judicial review of the policy to enforce phase two of the LEZ.

Phase two of the scheme is due to be enforced from Thursday June 1.

It means petrol vehicles that are not compliant with Euro4 standards, generally those registered before 2006, will not be allowed to enter the zone.

For diesel vehicles it is Euro6 which is mostly before 2015.

If a vehicle doesn’t meet the LEZ standards it is not allowed into the zone which is the city centre from the River Clyde in the south, High Street/Saltmarket in the east and the M8 to the north and west.

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Patons Accident Repair Centre, which has been operating in Townhead repairs vehicles that have been involved in accidents within a wide catchment area that extends beyond the borders of the LEZ.

The centre is inside the LEZ, less than 500 metres away from the northern boundary.

It repairs around 150 vehicles per month, referred to them by insurance companies, brokers, and accident management companies.

Mr Paton, told the Glasgow Times recently, he reviewed jobs over the last two years and found that 35% of the vehicles are non-compliant with the LEZ.

He said: “We’ve taken every step possible for us to comply, however, we cannot control the customer's cars that are involved in accidents.

“And we are different to other businesses in town which rely on footfall or rely on people being the customer, we rely on vehicles.”

A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: “We would vigorously defend any legal challenge.

“It is a surprise this has been lodged now, rather than when the LEZ was introduced in May 2022.”