Ken Livingstone is expected to announce a new plan to create a low emission zone (LEZ) in London.

The plan involves charging £200 a day for older trucks and buses to travel in the London area, which includes all 33 boroughs and not just the congestion zone.

Concerns have been raised by LondonFirst, a business lobbying group for the London area, that this charge will hit small to medium sized businesses hard, as they are less likely to be able to afford newer, more environmentally friendly vehicles.

The LEZ will be enforced in a similar way to the congestion zone, with cameras monitoring the traffic. The congestion charge is also set to go up for more polluting vehicles from £8 per day to £25.

There have been mixed reactions from representatives of SMEs regarding the new plan as businesses welcome the idea of a cleaner London with less pollution, but are concerned about whether they can realistically afford to make the necessary changes.