Hampton Court Palace has advised visitors that they can avoid paying the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) charge by taking a specific route when leaving its car park. The guidance, issued by Historic Royal Palaces, highlights that non-compliant vehicles turning left out of the car park will not be captured by enforcement cameras, despite the site being inside the expanded Ulez zone.
The car park entrance is located just outside the charging area, and the private roads within the grounds are exempt from Ulez enforcement. However, the exit emerges into the zone where drivers of non-compliant vehicles would normally have to pay the £12.50 daily fee. The loophole relies on a left-turn only exit, which avoids a camera positioned further north along the road.
Historic Royal Palaces addressed the issue on its website, stating: 'The exit of the carpark onto Hampton Court Road emerges into the charging zones. However, left-turning, non-compliant cars exiting the palace carpark 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.'
The guidance was praised by anti-Ulez activist Howard Cox, founder of FairFuelUK and Reform UK's London mayoral candidate, who called it a help for drivers to avoid 'this draconian tax'. Transport for London (TfL) has indicated it has no plans to change the camera's position.
In contrast, nearby attractions such as Chessington World of Adventures and Heathrow Airport have confirmed that all non-compliant vehicles using their entrances must pay the charge. The Ulez expansion, which came into force on Tuesday, covers all London boroughs and has been subject to legal challenges.
