The latest delay to Newcastle’s proposed Clean Air Zone pollution tolls has felt almost inevitable for some time.
To those who have followed the saga over the controversial charges for years now, it has been clear that there was little to no realistic prospect of them coming into force as planned in July. No warning signs had been put up to inform motorists, no cameras were installed to allow the toll system to function, and no grants were on offer to help people upgrade to cleaner vehicles after the Government took six months to ultimately reject a council request for extra funding.
Undoubtedly, the drivers and businesses who faced the prospect of having to pay either £12.50 or £50 per day to drive into Newcastle city centre will be utterly relieved to hear that the CAZ in on hold for now – particularly at a time when the nation is in the grip of a cost of living crisis. There remain significant questions over just when it will finally be introduced, having initially been slated for January 2021, and how it can be operated without pushing small traders towards financial ruin.
But one thing that is for certain is that Tyneside’s pollution problem is real and it isn’t going away. More than 300 deaths here each year have been linked to poor air quality and the CAZ has been ordered by the government in order to bring down illegal levels of emissions.
Campaign group Space for Gosforth has been calling for action on the crisis for years and has little sympathy for the notion that people need more time to prepare for something that has been in the works since the government’s directive was issued almost five years ago. A spokesperson for the group told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Anyone who welcomes this delay should take a long hard look in the mirror. The delay might be necessary but it certainly shouldn’t be welcomed.
“The council’s own consultation said 360 people die every year on Tyneside due to air pollution. That’s one death every day the Clean Air Zone is delayed, while many more continue to suffer from lung disease, heart disease and from the many other health impacts from breathing polluted air.
“Current air quality limits have been in place since 2010 so the idea that there ‘hasn’t been enough time to prepare’ is just laughable. While the vast majority of the delay has been down to Government, no one can say they haven’t seen this coming. If the council cares at all, it needs to urgently confirm the soonest possible date when the Clean Air Zone can be implemented and commit to that date.”
Gateshead Council leader Martin Gannon placed blame for the postponement at the Government’s door, saying drivers and businesses need “fair opportunity” to get ready for the tolls and were denied that as a result of a six-month wait for Whitehall to agree on the final CAZ plans.
The Labour councillor added: “This has had an inevitable impact on the time available for us to promote the grants scheme, and for businesses and drivers to access funding and get compliant. As we have previously said, our main concern is to improve air quality and a huge amount of work on behalf of councils and government has been focused on transport changes that promote more active and sustainable ways of getting around.”
Newcastle Liberal Democrat councillor Greg Stone complained that the emissions-cutting scheme “has been badly mismanaged both by central government and the local authorities” and that there “appears to be no clarity on the way forward”.
He added: “Given the current cost of living crisis, they have recognised that the significant additional cost to many would be unacceptable without meaningful grant support for transition. However, the delay does nothing to address the existing air quality and public health crisis which is already severe in many parts of the city like the Great North Road, West Road, and Coast Road, and the council's air quality strategy is now decidedly murky.”
Tyneside’s decision-makers have a tightrope to walk on what is a massively important issue – it is essential that they get it right.
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