Bristol clean air zone 'may be scrapped' if pollution falls

Drivers of older, more polluting vehicles are now being charged to enter Bristol city centre

A clean air zone (CAZ) that has just been introduced to a city centre could be scrapped if pollution levels fall.

Bristol's CAZ was brought in on 28 November, with drivers of polluting vehicles now charged daily fees.

The city's mayor Marvin Rees said the zone could be removed if it delivered "compliant air".

He said that the CAZ "wasn't thought up in a back room of the council" but that the government had told Bristol to introduce it.

"I have been asked about the future of the CAZ recently, and asked if there's going to be an expansion.

"The answer from me is certainly no. I'm not going to expand the CAZ to the whole city," said Mr Rees at a Bristol City Council cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

"As soon as it does deliver compliant air in the shortest possible time, it's possible that it won't be needed any more at all.

"But whatever future there is with the CAZ or any other measures to manage vehicles moving around the city, that would be up to any future commission," he said.

Government 'demanded action'

So far, the meeting was told, about four out of five vehicles entering the zone have been compliant and were not charged.

Opposition to the scheme has seen thousands petition to scrap the CAZ completely, with a legal challenge also being prepared.

Mr Rees said: "It's important to recognise the purpose of the CAZ, which is about improving air quality through cleaner vehicles and behaviour change.

"It didn't just drop out of the air, it wasn't thought up in a back room of the council — our air standards across the UK didn't meet EU standards. Client Earth legally challenged the government over their lack of action.

"The government then rolled down responsibility to local government across the major cities with a legal requirement to have compliant air in the shortest possible time."

He said the council had made the case to the government that clean air zones were a "blunt instrument" and could affect some households, businesses and hospitals negatively.