Clean air zone plans backed by council leaders

Proposals for a clean air zone across Greater Manchester have been backed as city-region leaders hit back at ‘stealth tax’ criticism.

The combined authority on Friday approved outline plans to tackle lethal levels of nitrogen dioxide by introducing charges for commercial vehicles.

Mayor Andy Burnham reiterated that the move is not a congestion charge, adding that the issue is one of ‘health inequality’.

According to an outline business case revealed this week, high-polluting buses, lorries and taxis will face daily charges from 2021.

Fees for vans will follow in 2023 in what will be the largest clean air zone outside of London.

Speaking at a meeting of the combined authority, Mr Burnham said: “This is a health issue and a matter of health injustice and inequality. It’s those in our most poor communities breathing in the most polluted air.

“The idea that we allow a situation that a postcode area that our kids are born in determines their health in later life is somehow alright, well, it isn’t. We need to somehow break that link as soon as we can.”

Councillor Allen Brett, leader of Rochdale Borough Council, said: “Poor air quality affects the most vulnerable people in our society most – the elderly, sick, children, and people living in the most deprived areas.

“This problem is something we must act on quickly and effectively and we’re pleased to be working in partnership with the other Greater Manchester authorities to clean up our air.

“Everyone in the borough will have the chance to make comments and feedback on the proposals in the coming months and I encourage people to have their say.”

The proposals, which will be subject to a series of consultations before a full case is submitted to government later this year, is reliant on a £116m funding package from Westminster.

This will enable businesses and self-employed drivers of the most polluting vehicles to upgrade or exchange to avoid the charges.

Alex Ganotis, Stockport Council Leader and the city region’s lead on the clean air plans, responded to criticism levelled by a bus company that the clean air zone will impose ‘nothing short of a stealth tax on passengers’.

He said the plans would be implemented in a ‘socially inclusive way’.

Councillor Ganotis added: “We have had some push back from the bus industry this week. It is not (a stealth tax) because we are saying we need funding to enable the bus industry to upgrade.

“90pc of the buses in Greater Manchester are not compliant. The industry has a role to play here.”

He later said: “There has also been discussion this week about us taking a political decision not to include private vehicles or that we’re copping out of a difficult decision, that’s nonsense.

“We’re talking about people’s health here, and you do not play politics with people’s health.

“We are not including private vehicles because we do not need to include private vehicles to achieve legal compliance across Greater Manchester. It’s as simple as that.”

Local authorities have been tasked by central government with improving air quality to within legal limits as soon as possible, with more than 1,200 deaths a year linked to harmful nitrogen dioxide levels.

Buses and lorries would be expected to pay £100 per day, with taxis and vans facing a £7.50 fee.

Earlier this week Mr Burnham said the city region had reached a ‘tipping point’ on air quality.

The £116m package from government is the most cost-effective option, he added.

He said at Friday’s meeting: “There are bus companies making a lot of money out of Greater Manchester, so much that I think it’s a reasonable expectation they put buses on the road that don’t harm our health.

“They’ve got time here to re-adjust their fleets so that doesn’t happen.”

The clean air zone will only apply to local roads and leaders stressed the need to lobby government to impose similar requirements on Highways England to tackle emissions on the motorway network.

An outline business case will be submitted to central government later this month.

Earlier this week, Elisabeth Tasker, managing director for bus operator Stagecoach Manchester, said the plan was not tackling ‘the root cause of dirty air’; too many cars on the road.

She added: “This is nothing short of a stealth tax on bus passengers, many of whom are the poorest and most excluded in our communities.”

James Illingworth, Local Democracy Reporter