Council urges Mayor to abolish C-charge extension before 2010

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Council leaders argue the recession could be classed as a "major event" under the GLA Act 1999 which would allow him to make such a change.

They also want more charge-free days in the central zone to boost shopping.

Mr Johnson announced his intention this week to ditch the extension - introduced by his predecessor Ken Livingstone - but legal complications were likely to keep the extension in force until 2010.

However, Westminster's cabinet member for environment and transport, Councillor Danny Chalkley, said: "We hope that the Mayor will now extend the usual charge-free days during the Christmas period to help Christmas shoppers and businesses during these difficult times, and start consultation on the variation to the Mayor's transport strategy so that the western extension is removed long before 2010."

Stall and shop owners in Kensington and Chelsea, and Hammersmith and Fulham said the extension had crippled them in recent years. But others warned that the action may have come too late.

Daniel Moylan, deputy leader of Kensington and Chelsea council, said: "Some businesses will welcome the decision and some residents will welcome the decision. However, there are also some residents who will regret it as they benefit from the residents' reduction.

"But we will be studying the consultation document and questioning the logic of keeping the central zone."

A five-week public consultation attracted nearly 28,000 responses, with 67 per cent of individual respondents and 86 per cent of businesses in favour of scrapping the western zone.

Nineteen per cent wanted to keep the extension, and 12 per cent wanted to modify it.

Hammersmith and Fulham praised the decision to scrap it after residents complained their roads had become "car parks" as drivers left vehicles on the edge of the zone to avoid the charge.

Council leader Stephen Greenhalgh said: "This is a brave decision by the Mayor who has listened to Londoners in the face of tough resistance from TfL."

Traders in Portobello Road, in Kensington and Chelsea, said they were thrilled by the announcement after the extension contributed to 40 stalls and 16 shops going out of business.

But the decision provoked fury from Green groups.