Rochdale’s Tory chief says ‘ridiculous’ Clean Air Zone must be scrapped following huge backlash

The leader of Rochdale’s Conservatives says Greater Manchester’s ‘ridiculous’ Clean Air Zone plan must now be scrapped following a huge backlash.

Councillor Ashley Dearnley says a recent ‘pause’ on opening £120m funding to replace or ‘retrofit’ the dirtiest commercial vehicles should lead to the scheme being binned – or at least radically overhauled.

Five-years in the making, the ‘CAZ’ has been drawn up by local leaders to combat illegally high pollution levels across the conurbation.

The largest scheme of its type in the country, the first phase – introduced from May – will see the most polluting lorries, buses and coaches charged £60 a day to drive in Greater Manchester.

The second phase, due a year later, would charge non-compliant vans £10 a day and taxis and private hire vehicles £7.50.

But, despite being in the pipeline since 2017, it was only when road signs started appearing at the end of December that a real revolt was sparked.

Amid a growing and furious backlash, combined authority bosses confirmed they were seeking approval from the secretary of state for an ‘urgent’ review into launching the CAZ in May.

 

 

Councillor Dearnley believes this should now sound death knell for the ‘ridiculous’ scheme.

He said: “I am very pleased that they are pausing it, but it should be with a view to scrapping it – or certainly modifying it substantially.

“There’s all this talk about wanting more money from the government, but what we need is a five square mile zone at the most – not the 493 square mile zone that’s being proposed.”

Councillor Dearnley added: “Everyone was misled because you can’t retrofit most of these vehicles, so decisions were being made on inaccurate information.”

The Wardle and West Littleborough councillor believes the situation has changed significantly over the last two years – with far more people now working from home.

“I have never known the roads as quiet, it was incredibly quiet going into Manchester,” he said, recalling his journey to a recent meeting.

“It was over the top to come in with a scheme like this. People can’t afford it.”

He also worries it will have a particularly bad impact on Rochdale’s Pennines area, including Littleborough.

“We are on the border with Yorkshire, where they are not doing anything so stupid, and it’s going to affect tradespeople,” Councillor Dearnley added.

“If a friend of mine has a plumber come over the border to Littleborough, they are not going to come – or they are going to charge you £10 to come.

“It’s not just going to hit people with vehicles, it’s going to hit the public.

“[Tradespeople] are just not going to come and even services into our area. It should be scrapped as it has been in Leeds.”

Eamonn Boylan, chief executive of Greater Manchester Combined Authority, issued a statement on Wednesday.

It read: “Since the current plan was agreed in July 2021, emerging evidence from businesses and trade has highlighted significant challenges related to supply chain issues and inflation.

“Based on this evidence, there is a fundamental concern that these global and national factors may impact on the ability of local businesses and individuals to upgrade their vehicles and whether the current financial support package agreed with government – including nearly £100m of funds due to open at the end of January for light goods vehicles, minibuses, coaches and taxis and private hire vehicles – is sufficient.

Mr Boylan continued: “The Greater Manchester Air Quality Administration Committee will meet on 20th January to consider the outcome of this work and what its implications means for the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan and will confirm that the terms of the legal direction that Greater Manchester authorities are subject to states that authorities: “must not vary, revoke or suspend their implementation of the local plan for NO2 compliance... without the prior written consent of the Secretary of State.

“The committee will therefore be recommended to seek approval from the Secretary of State requesting to pause opening of phase two Clean Air Funds at the end of January 2022, to enable an urgent and fundamental joint policy review with government to identify how a revised policy can be agreed to deal with the supply issues and local businesses’ ability to comply with the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan.

“The Committee will also be asked to confirm that preparations to launch the first phase of the Clean Air Zone charging from May 2022 – buses, HGVs and non-Greater Manchester taxi and private hire vehicles – will continue.”

Nick Statham, Local Democracy Reporter