Clean Air Zone charges ‘highly unlikely’ in all but two GM boroughs, Andy Burnham says

Clean Air Zone charges are ‘highly unlikely’ to be introduced across Greater Manchester except for in two boroughs, mayor Andy Burnham has said. Local leaders no longer want to charge any vehicles, but the government is yet to be convinced that their ‘investment-led’ approach will clean the air quick enough.

The government has now asked Greater Manchester to analyse the impact of introducing charges on some vehicles in the city centre and to compare this with its plan to scrap all charges and help upgrade vehicles instead. However, neither side now wants to impose charges outside of Manchester and Salford.

It comes after the controversial scheme to impose daily charges old vans, taxis, buses and lorries using the city-region’s roads was paused last year following a public backlash. Greater Manchester submitted its case for a investment-led non-charging Clean Air Zone to the government in July.

Last month, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham met environment minister Rebecca Pow to discuss the proposal. Shortly after, the Tory MP wrote to local leaders asking for additional evidence to prove that this plan would bring air pollution below legal limits ‘in the shortest possible time’.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has asked the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for a copy of the letter. Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is expected to publish more details about the contents of letter at a meeting which will be held in public later this month.

Mr Burnham told a meeting of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority on Friday (February 10) that the government has still not responded to the proposal sent in the summer, but has requested that a city centre charging zone ‘focused’ within the inner relief road is modelled as a ‘benchmark’. However, he said it seems ‘highly unlikely’ that there would be any charges in Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Trafford, Tameside and Wigan.

This is because, he said, ‘it would seem’ that it is accepted that these eight boroughs would meet the required air quality standards by the revised legal deadline of 2026 set last year. He said: “It’s important to say to residents of those eight boroughs that on the basis of the letter that we’ve had from the government and our proposal for an investment-led approach, that approach, it would seem, is accepted will work to achieve compliance in those eight boroughs and there will not be a need for a charging zone in those places.

“However, it is the case that people in those boroughs, particularly those closest to the city centre would still be affected by any form of charging Clean Air Zone which is why we will continue to argue for the original proposal that we put in. If there is a requirement from the government to go in that direction, obviously we will need to ensure that funds are used to support areas that are most affected and people who are most affected.”

The Labour mayor said his plans to bring buses under public control will help improve air quality as the new London-style public transport system will encourage more people to use a bus, tram or bike instead of driving. The Bee Network buses, which will be rolled out across Greater Manchester by 2025, would all meet emissions standards – and around 80% of buses already do.

Mr Burnham also revealed that passenger numbers have increased by 10% since fares were capped in September, arguing that the move has helped. Manchester council leader Bev Craig said local authorities also have their own plans to encourage more walking and cycling which were not in place before.

Greater Manchester is expected to submit the modelling data for a Clean Air Zone with charges in the city centre by the end of June. The government has also asked local leaders to address concerns about nitrogen dioxide levels on Bolton Road in Bury, but Mr Burnham said the city-region is ‘confident’ it can satisfy the government on this point by prioritising net zero buses in this area.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked Defra for a copy of the letter from minister Pow to Mr Burnham and to confirm its contents. However, the government department onlyconfirmed that it has received a letter from the metro mayor in response and said that ministers will reply in due course.

Last week, a Defra spokesperson said: “We have reviewed Greater Manchester’s proposals and identified a number of underlying gaps in the evidence, meaning it is not yet possible to understand how the proposed approach will achieve compliance with NO2 limits in the shortest possible time. We have requested further evidence from the Greater Manchester authorities to enable us to consider the plans further.”

Joseph Timan, Local Democracy Reporting Service