There are no plans to introduce road pricing or ultra-low emissions zones in Swindon.

Borough council leader Jim Robbins said it was "not happening" and repeated his stance three times in response to public questions at last Thursday's full council meeting.

ULEZ rules have proved controversial in other parts of the country, most notably London, where motorists whose vehicles do not meet exhaust emission standards must pay to use some roads.

Reg Bates, representing the Swindon & Wiltshire Residents Association, asked a written question wanting clarification of language in the draft Swindon Plan not “Improve key transport gateways and corridors” and to “reduce severance caused by transport corridors and the dominance of the car on the street scene".

Cllr Robbins said: “I understand the language isn’t that easy to understand.  Severance caused by corridors is where you have a railway line, or major road and it prevents people getting across. We have a railway line through the middle of town with only a few crossing places and if one is blocked it affects the whole network.

“We want to make it easier to get around.”

Mr Bates followed up by asking about reducing the dominance of  the car on the street scene and said: “I don’t know how you will do that without charging people to use the roads.”

Cllr Robbins was unequivocal: “No. Not interested. Not going to do it. Not going to happen. It’s a conspiracy theory we see a lot. We’re not going to do it. It’s not happening. I’m trying to be as clear as possible.

“We want to make sure that cars aren’t the only things on the streets. None of this relates to charging people to use the roads.”

Mr Bates was not entirely convinced: “Well, we’ll see.”

Immediately afterwards another member of the Swindon & Wiltshire Residents Association,  Andrew Osborne added to the debate.

Clad, like Mr Bates, in a yellow hi-visibility waistcoat, he asked: “When we ask the council about this you always say: ’There are no current plans.’ Do you have any plans for road charging or Ultra Low Emissions Zones, current or future?”

Cllr Robbins answer was short: “No.”

The independent  parliamentary candidate for Swindon North at the recent general election Deborah Hicks raised another question.

She said: “Can you give a yes or no answer? Will you introduce any broad traffic scheme which will involve charging motorists. Yes or No?”

Councillor Robbins said: “No.”

The London Mayor’s office has recently expanded the ULEZ in the capital to all London boroughs. The policy was initially brought in by Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson  and implemented by his Labour successor Sadiq Khan in central London.

Its expansion last year has, at least, coincided with a drop in pollution levels across the wider city.