Following meetings with Rebecca Pow MP, the under-secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs and Rachel Maclean MP the under-secretary of state for transport, it has been confirmed that the government-mandated Clean Air Zone for Birmingham is now scheduled to launch on 1 June 2021.
Poor air quality remains the largest environmental risk to public health in the UK and investing in cleaner air and doing more to tackle air pollution are priorities for the government and local authorities. Clean Air Zones aim to address all sources of pollution, including nitrogen dioxide and reduce public exposure by using a range of measures tailored to a specific location.
Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone will cover an area of the city inside the inner ring road (A4540 Middleway) and once live will mean that the owners of the most polluting vehicles, which account for around 25% of the vehicles on Birmingham’s roads, will need to pay a daily charge to drive into or through the Clean Air Zone.
The Council is providing a range of exemptions and financial incentives, with a total value of c. £35m, to help residents, city centre workers and businesses prepare for the introduction of the Clean Air Zone. Applications and expressions of interest for all of these schemes are now open with more information available at the website: BrumBreathes.co.uk.
Councillor Waseem Zaffar, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Birmingham City Council said:
“We have been working closely with officials at the Joint Air Quality Unit and ministers to agree a new launch date for the government-mandated Clean Air Zone.
“Poor air quality remains a public health risk and a Clean Air Zone provides the city with an effective tool for tackling this issue in the shortest possible time.
“The majority of drivers on Birmingham’s roads will not need to pay the daily charge but if you do then you may be eligible for an exemption or one of the financial incentives. So, I would encourage everyone to check the Brum Breathes website today. And everyone can still play a role in improving the air we all breathe by trying to reduce the number of shorter journeys we make by car every day.”
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