A Stoke-on-Trent window manufacturer is relocating part of its business after proposals were put forward to introduce a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in the city.
Listers is moving its Big Trade Counter – which is currently based next to its factory on Fenton Industrial Estate – a few miles down the road.
It comes months after Stoke-on-Trent City Council submitted plans for a CAZ as part of efforts to cut air pollution.
Listers claims the proposals could cost the business up to £4 million every year.
Now it is moving its trade counter to another building outside of the proposed CAZ, after agreeing a 10-year deal for another building on the Etruria Trading Estate, near Basford.
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Listers' CEO Roy Frost – who saved the company from collapse in 2017 – said: "Since 2017 we have invested more than £2 million in equipment and have created around 70 new jobs – and now we have a really successful business.
"Of course, it hasn't been without its challenges, including covid, and now we find out that our business falls into the proposed Clean Air Zone."
The CAZ would mean a daily charge put in place for some diesel vehicles older than September 2015 or petrol vehicles older than 2006. It applies to buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, HGVs, vans and mini buses – but not private cars.
The CAZ would be introduced before 2025 and would remain in place until nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels are within acceptable limits. The city council expects this to be no later than 2029.
Listers' trade counter manager Wayne Tracey said: "When we heard about the proposals, we decided to carry out a survey so we could get an idea of exactly how this is going to effect us.
"We found that out of the 62 vehicles which came through our gates, 32 of those were the older vehicles which would be charged under the new rules.
"That basically means that, once the CAZ is in place, those 32 people would have had to pay to get here.
"We deliver to customers all over the country, but we also have a lot of tradesmen who collect their goods from us and if they have to pay to get here, then they will just go somewhere else."
Roy added: "As a business, we have pledged to become carbon neutral by 2030. Our fleet of cars are electric now and, when viable, all of our commercial vehicles will become electric too. So we are not against the CAZ at all. But there is a lot of uncertainty around it and we've already had customers, competitors and staff talking about it.
"Everybody is concerned. We estimate that we would lose out on around £4 million in sales every year if we didn't move, so we've had our hand forced.
"When this unit became available we decided to go for it, we didn’t want to wait and deliberate because there’s not a lot of commercial property in the city."
From the end of March, Listers' Big Trade Counter will be based at its new location.
As well as avoiding the CAZ, the move will allow Listers to increase its factory space and pave way for expansion.
Roy said: "It's a bigger unit, it's in a better location, it's more accessible but importantly it's outside of the Clean Air Zone.
"It also gives us the opportunity to expand too. We need more space in the factory, so once we've moved the trade counter to the new premises we will be able to use to additional space for manufacturing."
