The government is still not convinced that Greater Manchester should scrap Clean Air Zone charges, saying the city-region's proposal lacks evidence. However, the new plan to help fund vehicle upgrades instead of penalising owners of older taxis, vans, buses and lorries is still under consideration.
It comes a year after the controversial plan to introduce a daily charges for commercial vehicles which do not meet emissions standards was paused following a public backlash. The government agreed to postpone the deadline for Greater Manchester to bring the level of pollution down below legal limits.
Local leaders now say that financial penalties are no longer needed to comply with air quality standards by the new deadline of 2026. However, six months after submitting its revised proposal, the government has said it requires more evidence to prove that this approach will work 'in the shortest possible time'.
The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has said it will consider the next steps once Greater Manchester responds. But local leaders say they are still waiting for a detailed response to the plan submitted last year.
A Defra spokesperson said: "We have reviewed Greater Manchester’s proposals and identified a number of underlying gaps in the evidence, meaning it is not yet possible to understand how the proposed approach will achieve compliance with NO2 [Nitrogen Dioxide limits in the shortest possible time.
"We have requested further evidence from the Greater Manchester authorities to enable us to consider the plans further."
The Clean Air Zone was due to launch last May, but the scheme has been under review since February. In June, the environment secretary suggested that Clean Air Zone charges are introduced in Manchester city centre only.
Greater Manchester submitted its case for an 'investment-led, non-charging' Clean Air Plan in July 2022. Last month, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham met environment minister Rebecca Pow to discuss the proposal.
According to Defra, they discussed the aims of the Clean Air Zone, legal responsibilities and the alternative plans set out by the ten local authorities in Greater Manchester to reduce harmful NO2 emissions in Manchester. Shortly after, the Tory minister wrote to local leaders asking for additional evidence.
Greater Manchester leaders said they will be providing some of the evidence requested by the government before submitting further evidence in June. A Clean Air Greater Manchester spokesperson said: "Greater Manchester leaders submitted the case for an investment-led, non-charging Clean Air Plan back in July 2022, to meet a deadline set by the Environment Secretary.
"Since then, Greater Manchester has waited for government feedback, whilst continuing to develop the supporting policy, including targeted engagement with key stakeholder groups. Greater Manchester is still waiting for a detailed response on the Case for a New Clean Air Plan. On 26 January, Rebecca Pow, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Environmental Quality and Resilience), wrote to ask Greater Manchester to provide additional evidence that will enable further consideration of the case for a new investment-led, non-charging Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan.
"Greater Manchester leaders will be responding to provide the first of the evidence requested, setting out that the next submission of evidence will be at the end June 2023. This will be reported to the next Greater Manchester Air Quality Administration Committee."
The Greater Manchester Air Quality Administration Committee, which has not met since October 2022, is provisionally scheduled to meet on February 23.
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