The London Mayor and Transport for London have already given the green light to the installation of ULEZ cameras across the Richmond borough, Nub News has learned.

Workmen have been installing the cameras on traffic lights in recent weeks with more to come.

The extension of the ULEZ zone does not come into effect until August and there are efforts by councils and MPs from across the political spectrum to block or delay implementation.

However, teams of TfL contractors are already touring streets of outer London boroughs, including Richmond. One group of workmen was seen adding the ULEZ cameras to traffic lights at the junction between Sixth Cross Road and Hampton Road, Fulwell.

The ULEZ scheme will apply a daily charge of £12.50 to older vehicles deemed to be responsible for higher exhaust emissions of pollutants, which harm human health, and greenhouse gases associated with climate change.

Richmond has the highest level of household car ownership in London and it is thought that around 15% of vehicles will be caught by the ULEZ charge.

The extension of ULEZ from central London out to the M25 has created strong feelings on both sides of the debate. Critics complain about the extra costs imposed on drivers, while supporters welcome the effort to encourage a switch away from polluting cars, delivering clean air and improved health.

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Richmond Borough Council has asked the London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, to delay the implementation of ULEZ given the current cost of living crisis.

It has also requested improvements to the scheme, including an increase in the £110m budget for a scrappage scheme designed to help households and businesses to replace their vehicles.

Despite these concerns, the Council has signed a so-called Section 8 agreement allowing TfL to install cameras on roads maintained by the Council.

A number of councils in outer London, including some run by Lib-Dem councils, have refused to sign-off these Section 8 agreements. However, they cannot stop TfL from installing the cameras on the major roads that it is responsible for.

A TfL spokesman confirmed the ULEZ cameras are being installed in Richmond, adding: "Two thirds of the cameras for the expanded ULEZ will be on existing traffic signals. The other third require a section 8 agreement, which Richmond has signed."

He refused to give any more detail about the programme, including the number of cameras, the cost and timescale.

The Council's transport and clean air lead, Cllr Alexander Ehmann, recently said the council had no intention of obstructing the extension of ULEZ out to the M25, but argued the proposals have 'major deficiencies'.

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He said: "The first is there is insufficient resource for the scrappage scheme and (there is) a clear ask that more is given, tens of millions of pounds of extra resource is needed.

"The need for this support is all the more real in 2023 because we are in the eye of a once in a lifetime cost of living crisis."

He said the second weakness is the timing and he called for a 'modest postponement'.

"We aren't talking indefinite, for the avoidance of doubt we are talking about six to 12 months – that would probably be enough," he said.

He said a delay would not be a sign of weakness and would allow the problems to be resolved.