Sadiq Khan forced to scrap £10million eco-boiler scheme that flopped with only 134 applications

SADIQ Khan has been forced to scrap a £10million eco-boiler scheme that flopped – with only 134 applications.

The London Mayor's team set aside millions for a green programme to replace old polluting boilers which pump out carbon dioxide.

But it failed to attract enough take up and is set to be shut down – with £8.95million of the original budget allocated elsewhere.

The cash will be spent on other projects to make London's air quality better instead.

Just 10 businesses have taken part so far, with another 11 applications in the pipeline at the moment.

By the end of last year just 10 had been completed and 7 more were in the pipeline.

The scheme – dubbed the first of it's kind in the UK – launched back in July 2018.

Businesses were told they could save hundreds of pounds a year from making the switch.

But less than a year later the scheme was already in trouble.

Documents show there were “serious concerns that the project will not deliver as planned” and “take up has remained low.”

In August the Mayor announced plans to shut down the scheme from next year.

£3.4million was paid to the Energy Savings Trust to fund the scheme, but most of this was later repaid.

Mayoral Candidate Shaun Bailey said at the news: "Bicycle ballets, beach parties and now this boiler flop – for a mayor that has increased council tax every year he has been in office, Khan sure knows how to waste money.

"Khan allocated vast resources for what was ultimately a massive failure – just 134 applications were received.

"Priorities are all wrong in City Hall and we are paying the cost of Khan."

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: "As part of his work to address the climate emergency, the Mayor is committed to helping London’s businesses reduce carbon emissions and tackle harmful air quality.

"Following a successful domestic boiler replacement scheme which helped more than 4,000 Londoners, the Mayor launched a similar fund for small and medium sized businesses who wanted help to replace older, more polluting boilers with newer, cleaner models.

"However, due to low uptake, the majority of its funding has been reallocated to two of the Mayor’s well-established initiatives – Business Low Emission Neighbourhoods and the Good Growth Fund – to enable businesses and other organisations to reduce emissions.

"The scheme will close in March as planned."

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