Glasgow's low emission zone: Charity says homeless could be hit

Homeless Project Scotland has learned its refrigerated van is not compliant with the new LEZ rules which come into force next week

A charity has warned it will have to stop feeding vulnerable people in Glasgow City Centre because of the low emission zone set to come into force.

Homeless Project Scotland said it had been refused an exemption by the city council to use its current refrigerated van within the restricted area.

It added it would be unable to collect or deliver food supplies in the centre, without facing penalties, from 1 June.

The charity has launched a fundraising campaign to buy a compliant vehicle.

Glasgow City Council said that "to maximise the effectiveness of Glasgow's LEZ, it is essential that compliance rates are as high as possible".

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In general, petrol vehicles registered from 2006 onwards and diesel engine vehicles registered after September 2015 will meet the required standards.

Homeless Project Scotland chairman Colin McInnes said he had assumed the charity's refrigerated van was compliant as it was registered in 2015, only to find out recently through Transport Scotland's LEZ vehicle checker that it was not.

He told BBC's Good Morning Scotland: "At the moment we are feeding an average of 300 people every day in Argyle Street underneath Central Bridge.

"The fridge van is the beating heart of our charity in Glasgow. It's the vehicle that mobilises to pick up over 1,500 sandwiches, boxes of food from restaurants etc.

"It collects from an average of 15-20 businesses daily in the city centre, right in the heart of the low emission zone."

Homeless Project Scotland says it feeds 300 people a day underneath Central Station Bridge in Glasgow

Mr McInnes said the charity was now "scrambling" to buy a compliant van, with just six days to go to the LEZ launch.

It has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise the £14,000 or £15,000 needed to obtain a second-hand compliant vehicle. Within 24 hours of its launch it had raised £1,700.

Mr McInnes added: "If we don't replace the van in time, then Glasgow City Council are going to have to find out how they are going to feed these 300 hungry people in their city.

"My message to Glasgow City Council would be to review the exemption request for the fridge vehicle and understand that if 300 people queuing for many hours for food on the streets of Glasgow is not exceptional, then they need to publish what is exceptional."

The news comes after a Glasgow-based community soup kitchen was told it could not be exempted from the new clean air zone.

However, All2gethernow, which distributes food and clothing to the homeless and vulnerable during its weekly visits to Cadogan Street in Glasgow, raised enough money to buy a compliant vehicle following a fund-raising drive.

In April, one firm revealed it faced as much as £140,000 in fines as it would not be ready in time to comply with Glasgow's low emission zone (LEZ).

Dunns Food and Drinks said a delay in receiving new delivery vans meant some of its vehicles would not meet emission standards by 1 June.

In a statement, Glasgow City Council said: "To maximise the effectiveness of Glasgow's LEZ, it is essential that compliance rates are as high as possible.

"This means that exemptions will only be granted in exceptional circumstances and where it can be shown that timely efforts are being made to comply with LEZ requirements."