Sheffield clean air zone 'nail in coffin' for pet rescue service - owner

Alan Webster has been running his pet ambulance business for about 25 years

The owner of a pet ambulance service in Sheffield has said he fears it will go out of business because of the city's new clean air zone (CAZ) charges.

Alan Webster, who runs the South Yorkshire Pet Ambulance, rescues injured pets and wild animals.

He said the council would not exempt his ambulances from CAZ fees, so he would have to pay up to £200 a month.

Sheffield Council said the CAZ aimed to tackle air pollution and grants to buy cleaner vehicles were available.

Following its launch on 27 February, private car drivers or motorbike riders are not charged to drive within the CAZ boundaries.

But drivers of the most polluting vans, LGVs and taxis are charged at a rate of £10 per day, while drivers of coaches, buses and HGVs are charged at £50 per day.

The ambulances do not have emergency service blue lights, but are equipped for poorly animals to be transported to a vet

Mr Webster, who has been running his pet ambulance business for about 25 years, said the charges could be the final "nail in the coffin" for the organisation.

He said he often took poorly animals and their owners to the vets for a fee, but the majority of his work was call-outs to help wildlife, such as foxes, swans, badgers and squirrels, for which he was not paid.

"I'm really upset, and what's going to suffer is the poor animals. I have got my back against the wall. The service will cease," he said.

• Sheffield clean air zone: How much is it, how do I pay and other questions

Mr Webster said he had helped the emergency services with pet rescues and had transported animals, including large St Bernard dogs, to their vet appointments for many years.

He said he had asked Sheffield City Council for an exemption from CAZ charges for his ambulances, but was refused.

He added that his vehicles were not eligible for a retrofit to make them more environmentally friendly.

The council said the CAZ had been introduced following a legal directive from the government to bring nitrogen dioxide emissions in the city within legal limits in the shortest possible time.

It said air pollution contributed to 500 deaths a year in Sheffield and could cause various health problems.