Trafford council is calling for a review of the government’s policy regarding the roll-out of the Greater Manchester-wide Clean Air Zone, as well as more central government funding for drivers affected by it.
At a heated full council meeting last night, both the Labour group and Conservative group submitted motions calling for more discussion on the plans – but focused on very different aspects.
Labour’s motion, which was carried, called on more central government funding for drivers to replace older vehicles that would allow them to avoid paying emission charges within the Clean Air Zone boundaries.
It also asked for a review of the Secretary of State’s policy regarding the zone, which instructed Greater Manchester authorities to implement the zone within a certain time frame.
The Green group also tried to add an amendment to the Labour motion, which failed, calling for the introduction of 20mph across the borough and the maintainance and expansion of the A56 cycle lanes to support the Clean Air Zone plans.
The Conservative group motion, after some in-meeting editing, called for more scrutiny of the Greater Manchester final plan for the Clean Air Zone and a pause to its rollout.
Discussion of this motion was postponed to the next full council meeting in February due to constitutional and time constraints.
The plans for a low emission zone across the city region from May would see the most polluting lorries, buses and coaches charged £60 a day to drive into or around Greater Manchester.
The second phase, due a year later, would charge non-compliant vans £10 a day and taxis and private hire vehicles £7.50.
Back in July 2021, Trafford council’s executive voted to bring the Clean Air Zone one step closer for the borough, but more recent public awareness of the plans sparked protests across Greater Manchester.
The Clean Air Zone is set to cover the whole of city-region, excluding its motorways, and aims to save lives by reducing the effects of air pollution and other respiratory illnesses.
Currently around 1,200 die every year in Greater Manchester due to the effects of pollution and other respiratory issues.
The proposals will see the need for ‘retrofitting’ of some older vehicles to reduce their emissions and ensure they comply with new standards.
It’s this that Trafford Labour have called for more funding towards from central government before the Clean Air Zone comes into play later this year, as well as a ‘broader policy review’ of the zone plans.
The group’s motion said: “The Secretary of State should undertake an urgent policy review supported by Greater Manchester leaders and officials to ensure that any scheme that comes forward provides sufficient financial support to those LGV, taxi and Private Hire Vehicle drivers who need to transition to compliant vehicles.
“The Secretary of State must ensure that this review fully reflects the more challenging market conditions that Greater Manchester has identified and accordingly ensure that sufficient funding is available for Trafford businesses and residents to upgrade their vehicles.”
Trafford Conservative motion, on the other hand, criticised Greater Manchester’s handling of the situation and called for the whole thing to be paused and investigated.
The group’s motion said: “The Chief Executive of the council [must] write to the GMCA chief executive requesting that a joint scrutiny committee be established to initiate an independent investigation into GM Clean Air Final Plan.
“The findings of the investigation must be scrutinised [and] each of the GM districts will review the findings of the report via their internal scrutiny mechanisms.
“Mayor of Greater Manchester, the GM Districts and GMCA [must] do whatever necessary to suspend the rollout of the GM Clean Air Final Plan to enable a full investigation to take place to address the issues identified.”
The Labour motion was passed, without the Green amendment.
The Conservative motion will be discussed at the next full council meeting on February 16.
