Bath: Row over plan to charge more lorries entering city

The Clean Air Zone covers the historic centre of the Unesco World Heritage Site

Transport bosses in Bath have been warned by Wiltshire Council it will oppose plans that risk "shunting" polluting vehicles onto its roads.

Bath and North East Somerset (Banes) Council will discuss on Wednesday whether to charge the cleanest HGVs entering the city's Clean Air Zone.

Leader of Wiltshire Council Richard Clewer said officers needed to consider other options.

Leader of Banes council Kevin Guy said he would discuss the matter with him.

Bath's clean air zone currently charges high-emission vans, private hire vehicles and taxis £9 a day to enter, while drivers of non-compliant buses, coaches and HGVs have to pay £100.

Private cars are not charged.

£3.5m has been spent on improving Cleveland Bridge so the Grade II* listed structure can support the weight of heavier lorries

In an open letter, Mr Clewer said he was not consulted: "I will not condone any proposal which simply shunts polluting vehicles away from Bath on to Wiltshire's roads and has an adverse effect on communities and residents in West Wiltshire."

'Costly legal challenge'

He said he was "very happy to work collaboratively with" Banes council in order to improve "the highways network throughout the region".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Guy responded to Mr Clewer by saying: "I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and your officers to discuss the position in more detail and I hope we can arrange to do so as soon as possible."

A report on the HGV proposal for next week's cabinet meeting has already warned neighbouring authorities could bring a costly legal challenge against a separate move by Banes council to ban HGVs weighing more than 12 tonnes on Cleveland Bridge in Bath.

Wiltshire Council previously objected to an attempt in 2012 to introduce a permanent 18-tonne weight limit on the bridge.

Cabinet members will consider the proposal to amend the Clean Air Zone on Wednesday.