Greater Manchester is no longer proposing a Clean Air Zone.
You can find out more about Greater Manchester’s investment-led Clean Air Plan to improve air quality on local roads and how it might impact you at the Greater Manchester Clean Air website.
29 January 2024 update:
Greater Manchester is submitting new proposals for an investment-led Clean Air Plan to government. It will be for government to decide which measures are included in the Clean Air Plan.
What's happening:
- Greater Manchester is still proposing a Greater Manchester wide, investment-led plan to address the nitrogen dioxide exceedances in our roads
- Greater Manchester believe the investment-led approach would be quicker and more cost effective than imposing a charging zone on the regional centre – but it is for government to decide if they agree with this or require a charging clean air zone in central Manchester and Salford
- Modelling for the Greater Manchester investment-led plan shows that air compliance can be achieved through cleaner bus and taxi measures, alongside some localised traffic measures
- The proposed £22.5m Clean Taxi Fund within the investment-led plan asks for enough financial support for every current non-emissions compliant vehicle licensed to a Greater Manchester authority
- Clean Taxi Fund grants are proposed to be increased by 25.6% (compared to the 2021 scheme)
- Access to the Clean Taxi Fund would be dependent on the licensing authority ensuring that all their existing fleet would be emissions compliant by 31 December 2025 (funding will be available)
- A further £8m fund is proposed to support owners of Greater Manchester-licensed hackney carriages who meet the minimum emission standard upgrade to a zero-emission capable vehicle.
- It is proposed that Clean Taxi Fund grants would be issued directly to applicants, rather than through dealerships, as was proposed under the previous scheme
If you have any other queries, email the team at info@cleanairgm.com or call them on 0161 244 1333.
Update summary from TfGM:
Greater Manchester is no longer proposing a Clean Air Zone.
Greater Manchester is submitting new proposals for an investment-led Clean Air Plan to government, who will then decide what the final Clean Air Plan includes.
The next steps for the Clean Air Plan are dependent on feedback from the government.
The nature and timescales of any further consultation on the Clean Air Plan proposals will be confirmed once GM has received full, formal government feedback.
In the meantime, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) – who is developing the Clean Air Plan on behalf of all 10 GM local authorities – have asked that we publish this message:
Like many areas across the country, Greater Manchester has high levels of air pollution on some local roads. It affects everyone’s health and is linked to early deaths.
Greater Manchester is under direction from government to develop a Clean Air Plan to meet legal limits for nitrogen dioxide on local roads in the shortest possible time and by 2026 at the latest.
The Greater Manchester proposed investment-led Clean Air Plan does NOT include a charging Clean Air Zone.
The investment-led plan developed by all ten GM local authorities would bring air quality within legal limits by 2025 – faster than a Clean Air Zone – and without causing hardship to residents or businesses.
If approved by government, the Clean Air Plan would use government funding already awarded to the city region for:
- 64 zero-emission electric buses for the Bee Network to run in areas with poor air quality.
- Clean vehicle grants for all eligible GM-licensed taxis and private hire vehicle owners.
- Local measures to manage traffic flow and improve air quality on some roads in the centre of Manchester and Salford.
If the government approves the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan no vehicle would be charged to drive in a Clean Air Zone in Greater Manchester.