A financial assistance scheme to help businesses and individuals in Bristol impacted by the introduction of the clean air zone (CAZ) has been announced.
Bristol City Council has appointed Anglo Scottish Asset Finance, an asset finance broker, to deliver the scheme, which will provide support in the form of grants and/or financing to help reduce the cost of replacing non-compliant vehicles and avoid paying a daily charge for driving in the CAZ.
The CAZ will charge the most polluting vehicles to drive in the city centre from Monday, November 28, 2022. The charges will be in force 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with buses and coaches facing a cost of £100 a day.
The local authority said nearly three-quarters of vehicles (71%) travelling into the zone are already "clean enough" and won’t be charged.
The financing initiative is being funded by the government’s Clean Air Fund, with an agreed £42m package which includes, £1.8m of loans and grants to help people to change their vehicles; £32m for businesses to upgrade HGVs, LGVs, taxis, and private hire vehicles; and £5.9m to help people switch to public transport and make more journeys by walking or cycling with free electric bike loans.
The first CAZ outside of London was launched in Bath last year. Anglo Scottish worked with Bath & North East Somerset Council to develop the city’s financial assistance scheme and said it helped more than 400 businesses to replace non-compliant vehicles and avoid daily charges to enter the city centre.
Anglo Scottish’s clean air zone services include grant application assistance towards the acquisition of compliant vehicles, and/or financing to spread the cost, and vehicle sales and a part-exchange facility to source and replace existing vehicles.
“We’re delighted to be helping Bristol City Council to support businesses and residents in becoming clean-air compliant," said David Foster, managing director at Anglo Scottish.
“The team at Anglo Scottish is in a fantastic position to support the residents and businesses of Bristol to not only access grants and finance, but also source and part ex-change vehicles."
Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees added: “We’re pleased to be working with Anglo Scottish Asset Finance, who are helping us to support those on lower incomes and businesses while we fulfil our moral and legal duty to improve Bristol’s air quality and reduce dangerous air pollution.
"We have sought to deliver Bristol’s Clean Air Zone in a way that protects those who need it the most, by offering a large package of support for people to replace or upgrade their vehicles and find more sustainable ways to travel around the city."
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