Funding to help businesses prepare for Bath’s Clean Air Zone

Bath & North East Somerset Council has secured £10m government money to fund schemes that will help reduce the impact of the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) on businesses and residents. The funding is on top of £5.5 million already secured to implement the zone when it is launched by 2021.

The CAZ will be a class C charging zone which will exempt cars from paying to drive in the zone. Higher emission commercial vehicles such as vans, lorries, buses, taxis and private hire vehicles will be affected.  

The council has put in an ambitious bid for more than £28 million to fund a wide package of measures to support those affected by the scheme and further improve air quality in the city.

To date, it  has been successful in securing £10 million to help local bus companies to upgrade older buses; provide financial support to help local businesses and individuals upgrade non-compliant commercial vehicles; and to fund a team of travel advisors to help business access the financial support on offer and encourage people to switch to greener, cleaner travel.

As part of the full business case to be submitted later this year the council will seek funding for other mitigation measures to help businesses consolidate deliveries and reduce their reliance on large vehicles delivering goods into the city centre by using alternatives such as electric cargo bikes and vans and micro distribution hubs.

Councillor Dine Romero, council leader, said: “While we have not yet secured all of the funding we bid for, this announcement from the Joint Air Quality Unit will allow us to move forward with Bath’s Clean Air Zone. We will continue to make our case for the full funding which is necessary to deliver the scheme successfully.

“In the meantime we can start to focus on supporting those local businesses directly affected by charges. We don’t want people driving polluting vehicles in the city and we recognise businesses may need support to make the necessary changes. This announcement means we can now progress the work needed to get the financial assistance scheme up and running, further improving air quality in the city.”