Sheffield City Council has confirmed that its clean air zone (CAZ) will launch on 27 February 2023, with the roll out of financial support measures starting from 12 December 2022.
The Class C CAZ will cover the inner ring road and city centre and charge buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans and minibuses that do not meet the minimum standards when entering the CAZ boundary.
Charges are £10 per day for non-compliant vans/lights goods vehicles and taxis, and £50 per day for non-compliant coaches, buses and lorries/HGVs. Private cars and motorbikes will not be charged.
Automatic number plate recognition cameras will detect non-compliant vehicles entering the zone. The system is defined by the UK governments CAZ Framework used for all CAZs across the country.
Financial support measures, designed to help residents and businesses upgrade their vehicles, will be available in the form of a grant, an interest subsidised loan or a mix of the two.
Cllr Julie Grocutt, co-chair of the transport regeneration and climate policy committee, Sheffield City Council, said: “The clean air zone is a necessary intervention to protect current and future generations in our city from the effects of exposure to NO2 emissions.
“While we are legally mandated by government to introduce it, it is a scheme we completely support. We are committed to doing all we can to limit the public health implications such as permanent damage to children’s lungs, strokes, lung cancer and cardiovascular disease.
“We cannot ignore these damaging effects and must implement important schemes such as the clean air zone for the benefit of our city.
“We understand that this scheme will affect people and businesses in a variety of ways and we have successfully pressed government for extra financial support in an effort to support Sheffielders to make this transition, recognising the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on our city.
“As a result, we have secured one of the best financial packages of any local authority.”
Sheffield City Council confirmed it will deliver additional temporary local exemptions from charges until 05 June 2023 for both local Hackney Carriage taxis and light goods vehicles.
Vehicle owners can check whether they will be charged in Sheffield, and for other CAZs elsewhere, via the government’s online vehicle checker.
In a Class C CAZ charges apply to specific types of vehicles that do not meet the minimum standards. These are:
- Taxis, including both hackney carriages and private hire vehicles, below Euro 6 diesel or Euro 4 petrol standards
- Light goods vehicles such as vans, campervans and pickup trucks and minibuses below Euro 6 diesel or Euro 4 petrol standards
- Buses and coaches below Euro 6 diesel standards
- Heavy goods vehicles below Euro 6 Diesel standards
