Vehicles that were to incur charges for non-compliance with the proposed Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone (CAZ) may not be liable for them under a revised Clean Air Plan (CAP) after it was confirmed that the conurbation’s CAZ will not now go ahead on 30 May.
Greater Manchester’s original CAP is withdrawn and the region’s Air Quality Administration Committee will meet on 28 February to consider steps towards a new one. It follows a rescinding of the original ministerial direction that the legal limit for nitrogen dioxide must be met in Greater Manchester by 2024. Instead, it must now be achieved by no later than 2026. To that end, the new CAP is required to be submitted to the government by 1 July.
There is no suggestion of when any measures will be introduced to facilitate legal air quality levels to be met by the revised date, or absolute confirmation that planned charges for non-compliant vehicles will not go ahead.
However, in a statement on 2 February, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said that delaying the requirement to 2026 would allow “a highly targeted approach to non-compliant vehicles in areas [of Greater Manchester] with continuing air quality exceedances.” That would go with an intention to “avoid any move to charging.”
Although the proposed Category C CAZ in Greater Manchester would not have captured cars, significant local uproar greeted news that it was to be introduced in May. Supply chain issues concerning some vehicle classes that were in scope had also been raised.
Additionally, in the van sector, increased prices of used models leaves it less likely that van owners would choose, or be able, to upgrade to cleaner vehicles. That means the original projection that compliance with air quality requirements would be achieved in 2024 was unlikely to be met. Lower sales than expected of new cars in 2021 compounds that “divergence from expected trends,” papers released ahead of 28 February’s meeting show.
The £120m funding from government towards upgrading non-compliant vehicles will remain in play to support the implementation of a new CAP, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority has confirmed. Businesses that have applied for or received funding to that end can “continue in the process under the current policy.”
Wording on already installed signage stating the planned commencement date of 30 May will be covered but not removed. ANPR cameras put in place are expected to be used to gather real-time data “to inform the refinement of a new Plan so as to monitor vehicle fleet renewal trends and specific traffic mix at key points of exceedance,” the papers add.
