Bath consulting on clean air charging zone

Bath and North East Somerset Council are consulting on plans to charge high-emission vehicles to drive into the centre of Bath.

These measures come following the government's National Air Quality Action Plan which requires local authorities to take action against air pollution.

A clean air charging zone in the centre of Bath, alongside a range of other measures to encourage greener modes of travel, are being considered.

A clean air charging zone means drivers of high-emission vehicles are charged when entering a specific geographic zone and revenue from the zone is used to run the scheme and any extra may be used to support greener modes of travel depending on government decisions.

Other suggestions include reduced cost of residents’ parking permits for low-emission vehicles; improved public transport facilities; better walking and cycling routes and making the bus lane on London Road permanent.

Details about costs, charging hours and which groups of high-emission vehicles will be affected will be modelled and considered following a series of public events being held over the coming months.

Councillor Bob Goodman, (Conservative, Combe Down) cabinet member for development and neighbourhoods, said: “We are legally bound to reduce levels of N02 in line with the government’s requirements. As such, one of the three options for a Clean Air Zone would involve charging certain types of cars to drive into the centre of Bath, whilst the other two options would only affect other types of vehicles such as HGVs, buses, coaches and taxis.

As these three options illustrate, it may be possible for us to achieve the required air quality improvements without the need to charge cars, however further detailed work has to be done before a final package is agreed later this year”.