Van owners in the North East now have just over two weeks to prepare themselves for the start of new tolls in the Newcastle Clean Air Zone (CAZ).
Having been given a six-month reprieve on charges since the launch of the CAZ in January, drivers of some high-polluting vans and LGVs that do not meet emissions standards will have to pay £12.50 per day to drive into Newcastle city centre from Monday, July 17. Older buses, coaches, lorries, and taxis are already charged in the anti-pollution zone, which was imposed after local councils were ordered by the Government to cut illegal levels of emissions, but all private cars remain exempt.
The delay for vans was allowed on the grounds that supply chain problems were making it harder to switch to newer, cleaner models, while there have also been worries about the impact the tolls will have on small and independent businesses already faced with a cost of living crisis. While grants are being made available to help drivers upgrade their vehicles, latest data shows that none have been approved for van or LGV owners so far.
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A Newcastle City Council report confirms that, as of the end of May, 603 applications had been made covering 877 LGVs – but none had yet resulted in any money being paid out. Overall, only 180 out of 2,053 CAZ grant applications have been successful since the funding was launched last November, all of which have been for taxis and total approximately £684,000.
However, anyone who has applied for a grant and is awaiting an outcome is being given a temporary exemption from the CAZ charges in the meantime.
A spokesperson for the Newcastle and Gateshead Clean Air Zone said: “There are just over two weeks before older vans and light goods vehicles will be required to pay Clean Air Zone charges. If they haven’t already done so, we’re encouraging vehicle owners to go online and check whether they are affected and whether they can apply for financial support to help towards the cost of a cleaner vehicle.
“Grants of up to £4,500 are available for eligible vans and LGVs and we have already received more than 600 applications from owners of these vehicles, which we are working through as quickly as possible. Anyone who has applied for funding will be temporarily exempt from any CAZ charges until they have completed the application process.”
To avoid being charged to enter the CAZ, vehicles must have a Euro 6 diesel or a Euro 4 petrol engine. You can check if your vehicle is compliant at www.gov.uk/clean-air-zones.
Newcastle City Council has also confirmed that, for now, it will not be issuing any grants to pay for high-polluting buses to be retrofitted. The decision comes after the Department for Transport said it was pausing new funding for retrofitting buses after studies found that the measures were “not reducing NOx emissions to the levels expected”.
77 grant applications for buses and coaches have been made so far, covering 409 vehicles. The spokesperson added: “We are awaiting further guidance from government regarding Clean Air Fund grants for bus retrofits.
“In the meantime, we have been asked to place these grants on hold until further studies on the effectiveness of retrofitting have been completed. Until this matter is resolved, we are providing temporary exemptions for buses and coaches where operators have applied for funding for retrofitting or can demonstrate that their vehicle has already been retrofitted.
“We are involved in ongoing discussions with government and are keen to ensure this technology can be as effective as possible and that operators are kept informed of any developments.”
