Bristol City Council criticised for THIRD Clean Air Zone delay
The zone is not now expected until the end of this year, with the Green Party saying it will have "terrible, real life consequences"
A third delay to Bristol's Clean Air Zone (CAZ) could have "terrible, real life consequences", according to the leadership of the Green Party.
Earlier this month Bristol City Council revealed the CAZ, which will see highly polluting vehicles charged for entering the city centre, might not come into force until the end of this year.
Originally it was supposed to launch in October 2021, before being pushed back to this September.
Now, the council says national changes to bus lane regulations mean it has to be delayed again.
Green MP Caroline Lucas has spoken about the issue on a visit to Bristol, saying current air quality in the city is damaging people's health and leading to premature deaths.
“It’s quite something to see the Mayor sign a letter calling for tougher action on air pollution just days after he has delayed the launch of Bristol’s Clean Air Zone yet again," she said.
"Nobody would accept six years of failure to act if polluted tap water was leading to hundreds of deaths per year – and quite rightly.”
“Greens are calling for local and national government to go much further to protect our health.
"My colleague in Parliament, Baroness Jenny Jones, has tabled a Clean Air Bill, known as Ella’s Law, which if passed could protect thousands of unnecessary early deaths from air pollution every year.”
“Ella’s Law would force the Government to act to bring air quality in every community up to minimum World Health Organization (WHO) standards.
"This would mean people no longer have to breathe air that seriously damages their health.
"The law would establish the right to breathe clean air as a basic human right.”
Ms Lucas' comments come after a 2017 report found poor air quality can be blamed for 300 premature deaths in Bristol every year.
That works out as nearly six deaths every week.
Green Party Co-Leader and Bristol City Councillor Carla Denyer commented, “This isn’t your typical politicians ‘dither and delay’, it has terrible, real-life consequences...
“While it is encouraging that the mayor is signing up to targets to clean up our air by 2030, a pledge does not make the air clean.
"If the administration is taking this new air quality commitment seriously we expect to see urgent action to achieve it and a change in direction on transport.
"Without firm action this is just more hot air.”
In response a spokesperson for Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees has been quoted as saying that if the Greens were in power they would have brought the CAZ in too soon and left many people financially disadvantaged.
In a statement sent to us a council spokesperson said: "The city was on track to introduce the zone in late summer but a recent Government change to national traffic enforcement regulations has meant work programmes have had to be adjusted for the zone to meet the new legislation from the government.
“The council is working with Government and its contractors to agree a start date for when the zone will start operating. We are working to a start date towards the end of the year.
"We have also asked Government for an extension to the temporary exemption period for those who are eligible to reflect any revised launch date.
“The council is otherwise on track to launch the Clean Air Zone as soon as possible and meet government targets for air pollution in 2023, five years earlier than previous proposals.
"Test cameras have recently been successfully installed and the remaining cameras will go up in July and August.
"Motorists will also start seeing signs for the zone across the city from next month."
“The change to national traffic enforcement regulations is taking place across the whole parking sector and has affected suppliers, councils and parking providers nationwide.
"The changes not being implemented correctly would mean that parking Penalty Charge Notices are not legal.
"The regulation change has required suppliers, councils and parking providers to make changes to systems, statutory documents, challenge letters and representation letters.”
The city council is legally required to introduce a CAZ; one has already been introduced in Bath by Bath and North East Somerset Council.
Bristol's when it is eventually introduced, will see small vehicles that do not meet emission standards charged £9 a day to enter the CAZ, while larger vehicles like lorries will face daily fees of £100.
You can find out more about Bristol's CAZ here.