The UK government has confirmed (23 January, 2025), that there will be no Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in Greater Manchester.
Instead, the area is set to benefit instead from an £86 million scheme to clean up the region’s air. Defra and the Department for Transport have rigorously assessed an investment-led plan proposed by local councils and concluded it will meet legal obligations to reduce nitrogen dioxide pollution.
While local authorities in other areas have found that a Clean Air Zone is the best route to cutting nitrogen dioxide pollution, Greater Manchester provided evidence they can achieve compliance with legal limits faster without charging.
The investment-led package includes:
- £51.1m towards bus investment, including 40 zero emission buses, 77 Euro VI standard buses and charging infrastructure;
- £5m for local traffic management measures;
- £8 million to support moving Greater Manchester’s taxi fleet to cleaner vehicles;
- Up to £21.9m for administration, delivery, monitoring and other associated costs;
- Local leaders have also been told they can review and cancel contracts relating to the Clean Air Zone, such as signs and cameras.
Air Quality Minister, Emma Hardy said: “I am pleased that Greater Manchester has found a clear way to reduce emissions without the need to charge motorists.”
Minister for the Future of Roads, Lilian Greenwood said: “Manchester will be able to reduce pollution from transport without having to charge motorists, and new, cleaner buses will help Mancunians get around easily while still bringing down emissions across the city.”
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham said: “We are grateful to this government for listening to Greater Manchester and for this vote of confidence in our investment-led approach to cleaning up our air.”
The UK has legally-binding targets to reduce the concentration of nitrogen dioxide in the air to an annual average of no more than 40 micrograms per cubic metre.
The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has long campaigned for alternative measures to be introduced to improve air quality that avoid hitting small commercial vehicle operators with additional costs when moving people and goods into Greater Manchester.
Chris Ashley, RHA Senior Policy lead, said: “Tackling poor air quality must be a priority and we fully support that ambition. We’ve consistently campaigned for measures to support investment in cleaner vehicles and improve existing infrastructure, so we’re pleased that the government and Greater Manchester is going ahead this way. This is a welcome boost to businesses struggling with soaring costs who operate there. We continue to call for existing charging Clean Air Zones elsewhere to be closed down once legal air quality targets are met.”