Anti-Ulez protesters hang ‘protected’ bat boxes on camera poles

A bat box attached to a Ulez camera in Chessington, south London – Tony Kershaw/SWNS

Bat boxes have been attached to ultra low emission zone (Ulez) camera poles in what appears to be an attempt to frustrate efforts to enforce Sadiq Khan’s clean air scheme.

The £10 animal boxes have been installed underneath number plate recognition cameras in Chessington and North Cheam, in south London.

Laminated signs underneath the boxes read: “Stop! This is a bat box. Bats have been observed to be using this bat box as a resting place.”

Anti-Ulez campaigners have not claimed responsibility for attaching the bat boxes to the camera poles, but some have said the move could make it difficult for Transport for London (TfL) to install or repair cameras because of conservation laws designed to protect bat habitats.

Bats and their roosts are legally protected in Britain and it can be an offence to disturb or destroy a place used by the animals for feeding or resting, or to obstruct access to a bat roost.

‘Think they are above the law’

One anti-Ulez activist who claimed to be familiar with the strategy told MyLondon: “The purpose of the bat box is to make it difficult for TfL on any installation, be it a new pole before the camera is installed or a pole where a camera has been damaged, removed or covered et cetera, and the team is returning to attempt to reinstall, repair or clean a camera.

“It will be interesting to see whether TfL and the sub-contractors think that they are above the law regarding bats and will ignore any warnings.”

Kingsley Hamilton, of the Action Against Unfair Ulez website, told The Sun: “I’m sure whoever is behind it is extremely grateful to TfL for providing the poles to house this protected species.

“Sadiq Khan [the Mayor of London] will not want to be seen to be tampering with their homes after claiming to care so much about protecting the environment.”

Action against Unfair Ulez has carried out many protests – Jamie Lorriman

TfL said it was a crime to interfere with its network of nearly 4,000 cameras, but a spokeswoman would not confirm if the boxes would be removed.

However, Joe Nunez-Mino, of the Bat Conservation Trust, said: “A bat box by a main road is not going to be used. I’m not saying it’s a zero per cent chance it will be used but it’s very low.”

He added that boxes must only be opened by licensed bat workers.

Planning expert David Bird, a solicitor at VWV law firm, said: “Unless bats have moved in, TfL can just take them down.”

There have been months of protests against the expansion of Ulez.

In February, protesters blocked more than 80 cameras in Sutton. In January 2024 police investigated a spate of suspected anti-Ulez attacks after eight sets of traffic lights were cut down with an angle grinder in Bromley, all of which had cameras attached to them.

In November 2023 the Met Police said nearly 1,000 recorded crimes had been linked to Ulez cameras either being vandalised or stolen.

The £12.50 daily charge for older polluting vehicles was widened to all 32 London boroughs in August 2023 following months of controversy, having previously ended at the North and South Circular roads.

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