Agents working in London will be relieved to learn that the congestion charge will not be expanded, as previously feared.

It was proposed by the government that the £15 congestion charge zone would be expanded to north and south circular in October next year to cover approximately four million more Londoners, as part of deal to provide emergency funding to Transport for London (TfL).

However, it has now been confirmed that TfL will receive up to £1.8bn from the government in further emergency funding for the next six months without having to introduce an 18-fold increase in the size of the congestion charge zone.

TfL will also not be required to scrap its free travel concessions for young people and the over-60s as a condition of receiving the funds, London mayor Sadiq Khan has announced.

An expansion of London’s congestion charge zone, which currently operates in central London, covering the same area as the capital’s ultra-low-emission zone (ULEZ), would have had a devastating impact on businesses across the capital, including estate agency, as the added cost of driving would have proved an expense that many people can ill afford.

But amendments to the congestion charge in central London introduced in June as part of a previous bailout – a 30% increase in the fee and longer operating hours – will remain in place due to the new deal.

In a statement about the new deal, Khan said he was “pleased that we have succeeded in killing off the very worst government proposals.”