Leeds abandons plans for CAZ

UK city says that the initiative has already done its job in reducing pollution
By Adam Hill October 19, 2020 Read time: 2 mins
Leeds: much, much cleaner than before (© Philip Openshaw | Dreamstime.com)

The UK city of Leeds’ planned clean air zone (CAZ) is no longer required – because businesses have already switched to cleaner vehicles.

A review by Leeds City Council and UK central government found this means air pollution in Leeds on key routes is “below legal limits and is not likely to exceed them again - even if traffic were to return to ‘normal’ levels or slightly higher”.

Another UK city, Birmingham, recently announced its own central CAZ will be introduced in 2021.

But Leeds says there is now no need in its case: more than 90% of buses and 80% of heavy goods vehicles driven in the city now use cleaner Euro VI engines – so would not be charged, even if there were a CAZ. 

Nearly half the city’s licensed taxi and private hire cars are also now hybrid or electric. 

“We didn’t expect it this early,” a council spokesman admitted to ITS International. 

“There has been a massive shift in the number of vehicles that are compliant. But CAZs were always designed to be temporary measures – the aim is to accelerate improvement as quickly as possible.”

The council is asking the UK government to be allowed to keep £6.9 million of CAZ funding to continue offering grants to local firms to switch to cleaner vehicles, and will be able to keep and repurpose the ANPR cameras which were installed to monitor and enforce the zone.

"In the unlikely event that air quality declined for any reason, the council retains this infrastructure and could seek support from central government to introduce a CAZ," it said.

The council is now considering the voluntary introduction of stricter air quality guidelines along the lines of World Health Organisation recommendations.

Air Quality & Weather Systems

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • UK government publishes new air quality plan for consultation
    May 8, 2017
    The UK government has published a draft plan to improve air quality by reducing nitrogen dioxide levels in the country. The options now open for consultation on reducing nitrogen dioxide in our towns and cities are designed to reduce the impact of diesel vehicles, and accelerate the move to cleaner transport. Local authorities are already responsible for improving air quality in their area, but will now be expected to develop new and creative solutions to reduce emissions as quickly as possible, while avoid
    Read More
  • Air quality tops transportation agendas
    November 17, 2014
    Colin Sowman catches up on some of the latest research around outdoor pollution and looks at options available to authorities in areas of poor air quality. Iair quality hasn’t already reached the top of the agenda in transportation department meetings in your area, it probably soon will with national, trans-national and even global bodies calling for authorities to reduce pollution levels.
    Read More
  • Pollution has more than one solution
    April 7, 2014
    Professor Alexander Baklanov of the World Meteorological Organization talks to Colin Sowman about the difficulties of reducing urban pollution. The inhabitants of Beijing have recently been suffering pollution levels 20 times the World Health Organisation’s recommended limit while the European Union is revitalising its efforts to implement and enforce air quality standards. Almost inevitably much of the clean-up efforts are likely to focus on traffic planners and engineers.
    Read More
  • London’s first Low Emission Bus Zone to tackle toxic air
    March 15, 2017
    London’s first Low Emission Bus Zone has been launched in Putney High Street, one of the most polluted areas of the capital. The clean bus zone, which runs a total of 145 buses on seven scheduled routes, will now be serviced by cleaner buses in a move to cut harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. The route is the first of 12 new Low Emission Bus Zones to be introduced at air quality hotspots. The zones represent the most extensive network of clean buses of any major world city. The routes are one‎ p
    Read More

Highlighted Content