£100m spent on never-implemented clean air zone ‘not gone down the tubes’, Burnham insists

The £100m spent on Greater Manchester’s clean air zone has ‘not gone down the tubes’ despite never being implemented, Andy Burnham insists.

Plans to charge some motorists a daily fee to drive in Greater Manchester were put on hold in spring 2022 following a huge backlash, and in late 2023 the mayor unveiled his new ‘investment-led approach’.

It was approved by the government last month, and sees leaders try to clean the air by getting more people on public transport and driving less.

However, the total cost of the project has now been revealed as £104.5m, which includes £375,000 being spent every month on enforcement cameras. The government has covered the costs so far.

 

 

But Andy Burnham doesn’t believe the money has gone ‘down the tubes’, arguing ‘the money has helped us get to the point to clean up the air’.

He said on Thursday (6 February): “Some of the money was used to clean up vehicles. Some of the money was used to buy new buses.

“Some of that money was used in the camera network. That gives Greater Manchester the best ANPR infrastructure in the country. That’s used to solve serious crimes including murders and rapes. 

“GMP does not have direct access to that. I am launching a consultation soon to say that network should be available in real time.”

The mayor added: “I think there’s a strong case for repurposing those signs and flagging people towards park and ride. £27m has gone on grants to support drivers move to cleaner vehicles

“I am confident what we have got to is a situation where we are improving the transport system but there are areas where we still need to improve. We are in a good position to make the Bee Network what we want it to be.”

An air quality administration committee report found £36.6m has been spent on implementing and operating the clean air zone, a sum which includes the cost of running cameras.

Transport for Greater Manchester  purchased 815 cameras and held them in storage after the scheme was paused. A year later, 200 of these cameras were sold back to manufacturer Yunex at the full price paid by TfGM.

Of the 462 cameras that were installed, only 360 remain operational with 97 having been vandalised and five taken down due to highway works.

Ethan Davies, Local Democracy Reporter