Air Quality
It is well known that air pollution from traffic sources increases when traffic is congested and also when there are more motor vehicles travelling along a given stretch of road. One indication of this can be seen in the reduction of air pollution concentrations measured in 2020 during lockdown periods of the COVID-19 pandemic (see Air Quality Expert Group report).
HLRA remains committed to scrutinising air pollution data to act in the best interests of local residents.
In spring 2022, it is expected that a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) will be introduced in Greater Manchester. It is hoped this will result in reduced heavy traffic and cleaner-running HGVs. (The charges would not affect private cars.)
See also:
Clean Air Zone coming to Stockport
The Greater Manchester-wide Clean Air Zone is coming to Stockport from next spring, helping to tackle the problem of air pollution, which contributes towards at least 1,200 deaths per year in the city-region.
The Clean Air Zone, which will launch on 30 May 2022, will not include private cars, motorbikes and mopeds. However, vehicles that don’t meet emission standards – including light goods vehicles (LGVs) or vans, heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), buses, coaches, hackney cabs, private hire vehicles (PHVs) and minibuses – will be charged.
GM has secured £120m government funding to help regional businesses, people and organisations upgrade to cleaner, compliant vehicles and avoid a daily charge.
Financial Support Scheme applications are now open for GM-registered HGVs, to give them the maximum amount of time to apply, since they are included in the zone from its launch. £7.6m will be made available initially to help affected HGV owners upgrade or retrofit ahead of the zone going live.
The first round of funding will aim to support GM’s smaller businesses, sole traders and the voluntary sector and clean up the oldest, dirtiest vehicles.
Funding for GM-licensed PHV and hackney carriages, coaches, minibuses and LGVs will launch at the end of January 2022, ahead of their inclusion in the zone from 1 June 2023.
Find out if you are impacted by the zone, eligible for support and sign up for updates at cleanairgm.com
DB 04/12/21