Bristol CAZ – more info requested

Air Quality

The Government has asked Bristol City Council for more evidence to support its clean air plan that features a class C clean air zone (CAZ) and a city centre diesel car ban. 

The council’s proposed class C CAZ would cover a large part of the city and see charges imposed on non-compliant buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, lorries and vans (LTT 08 Nov 19). 

The diesel car ban would cover a smaller area including the city centre. It would operate from 07.00 to 15.00 seven days a week and be the first such restriction in the country. It is controversial, particularly because the council says it should apply to all diesel cars including Euro 6 models.

Environment minister Rebecca Pow has now issued a direction to the council requiring it to submit further options appraisal, including transport, air quality and economic modelling by 10 April “in order to provide assurance that the local plan for NO2 compliance will deliver compliance in the shortest possible time and by 2023 at the latest”. 

Says the Government: “The revised air quality modelling provided must demonstrate the applicable class of charging clean air zone, appropriate behavioural assumptions, and what (if any) additional measures, or adjustments to the local plan for NO2 compliance would need to be implemented by the authority to deliver compliance in the shortest possible time.”

Bristol must submit a full business case for its plan to Government by 18 September.