Bath clean air zone: Polluting vehicles to be charged from Monday

The clean air zone launching in Bath on Monday is the first in England outside London

Vehicles such as buses and lorries will be charged for driving in the centre of Bath for the first time on Monday.

The clean air zone (CAZ), which aims to cut pollution, is the first of its kind in England outside the capital.

Commercial vehicles which do not meet required emission standards will pay a daily charge, but private cars and motorbikes are exempt.

Bath and North East Somerset Council said the move could cut emissions to legal levels by the end of 2021.

The Clean Air Zone covers the historic centre of Bath

High-emission commercial vans will pay a £9 fee and HGVs and buses £100. Private hire vehicles and taxis will also have to pay £9 per day.

Councillor Sarah Warren, from Bath and North East Somerset Council said it was a "public health issue" and emissions from vehicles needed to be cut.

"We're under a legal obligation to bring nitrogen dioxide levels to legal levels by the end of this year and our modelling shows that that should be possible with this Class C zone.

"We know that nitrogen dioxide levels in the city are too high. This is a public health issue and this pollutant comes mainly from vehicle exhausts so it's absolutely vital that we bring down the levels," she said.

Ms Warren said that the council had been "working very hard" to contact businesses to ensure they were aware of the new regulations.

"We've contact 9,000 (businesses) directly. We're doing everything we can to engage with businesses and we don't want any to fall through the net," she added.

Authorities in Bath have been told to improve air quality by the government

Bus company First has upgraded its fleet to ensure it meets the CAZ standards.

"It's been a very significant impact on our business," said managing director James Freeman.

"It's made us do things which we would have perhaps done more slowly if we didn't have a clean air zone being introduced right now."

Concerns have been raised that the clean air zone could increase traffic in nearby towns, like Bradford-on-Avon and Westbury.

Wiltshire Council says it fears drivers will avoid paying to enter the centre of Bath by using smaller roads and its leader, Phillip Whitehead says the clean air zone "must not impact air quality" in the county.