Even the royals are dodging Ulez! Palace visitors given insider tips on how to avoid Khan’s hated cameras
An image of a Ulez sign (left) and Hampton Court Palace (right)
PA
Tourists visiting Hampton Court Palace have been advised on how to avoid Sadiq Khan’s £12.50 Ulez levy.
Historic Royal Palaces, the charity managing the Grade I listed building, said drivers who turn left out of the South West London site’s car park “will not be seen” by Ulez cameras.
Motorists across London will now pay the Ulez charge if their vehicle does not meet minimum emissions standards after the London Mayor expanded the policy to cover all corners of the capital on August 29.
Hampton Court Palace, which is located on the edge of the London Borough of Richmond, directly borders Surrey and the nearest train station sits outside Khan’s Ulez area.
A map of the Ulez boundary in South West London
Transport for London
The River Thames provides the 508-year-old palace with a picturesque backdrop and marks the dividing line between places covered by the carbon-cutting levy in South West London.
Advice uploaded to Hampton Court Palace’s plan your journey section on Thursday morning said: “The exit of the car park onto Hampton Court Road emerges into the charging zones.
“However, left-turning, non-compliant cars exiting the palace car park back out of London will not be seen by ULEZ camera (located further north along the road) unless they re-enter the ULEZ zone elsewhere with a non-compliant vehicle.
“While the positioning of any camera could change, TfL (Transport for London) has no future plans to review this location.”
An image of a Ulez sign in London
PAThe information was removed from the website by Thursday afternoon.
However, Historic Royal Palaces also tweeted that visitors who turn left out of the car park “will not be seen by the enforcement camera and will not be charged”.
GB News understand visitors leaving Hampton Court Palace remain unlikely to face the levy as the car park is left-turn only.
But motorists driving a non-compliant vehicle could face the charge if they re-enter the Ulez zone elsewhere.
Transport for London has installed almost 1,900 Ulez cameras across its expanded area in preparation of Khan’s enlargement on Tuesday.
A photocall of Henry VIII's fully working wine fountain, which has been recreated at Hampton Court PalacePAMore than half a million people visit King Henry VIII’s former residence every year.
Despite residents in nearby Surrey avoiding the Ulez charge, the County Council launched a legal challenge against Khan’s policy.
The challenge was rejected by the High Court in July, with Surrey County Council leader Tim Oliver describing the decision as “incredibly disappointing”.
A Historic Royal Palaces spokesperson told GB News: "Our priority is to continue to provide clear information for visitors, to inform the decisions they make about travel to and from Hampton Court Palace.
"We will continue to work with TfL to ensure that we provide the most up to date information on this."