New Bath Clean Air Zone charge a possibility, warns council
They're considering bringing in a £50 fee for a new class of HGV
More vehicles could be charged soon for entering Bath's Clean Air Zone (CAZ), as the cabinet at Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) Council, reveals they are considering the idea.
Councillors are considering bringing in a fee for a new class of heavy goods vehicle (HGV), at £50.
It would impact Class N3 Euro VI diesel HGVs, which enter the CAZ.
That compares to the £100 fee for non-compliant Class N3 Euro V diesel HGVs, which is already in force.
"This would be a local charge, sitting outside the national Clean Air Zone Framework, to support the council’s aims of going further to improve local air quality, reduce vehicular demand on road space, protect the amenity of the Bath World Heritage Site setting, and respond to the climate and ecological emergencies," a statement from the council reads.
"HGVs weighing under 12 tonnes would be unaffected by this variation."
Rather than just bringing in the new fee immediately, if the cabinet approves the idea when they meet on Thursday 10 November, it will then be sent out for public consultation.
The proposed fee would be supported by a suite of time-limited local exemptions, based on feedback from the consultation, while there would also be a period of soft enforcement to help embed the change.
These exemptions would complement the existing exemptions for hybrid, electric and alternatively fuelled vehicles.
Councillor Manda Rigby, cabinet member for Transport, said: ”The Clean Air Zone is part of a package of measures we’ve introduced to improve Bath’s air quality and it is making a difference.
"Varying the zone’s Charging Order would help us make further progress, not only in the quality of air we breathe but also on tackling congestion in our World Heritage City and around the Grade II* Cleveland Bridge.
"However, varying the Order has to be balanced with support for business which means working with fleet owners as part of a proposed consultation, if this report is approved by cabinet.”