Conservatives in Trafford are calling for the suspension of Clean Air Zone pending a 'full investigation' into the plan.
Currently due to be launched in May to tackle illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide across the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester, the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) has churned up a toxic political storm.
The scheme, entailing the installation of cameras across the 10 boroughs to monitor drivers of high-emission vehicles, will see a £60 for HGVs, buses and coaches, £10 for vans and £7.50 for taxis and private hire cars.
Failure to pay the charge will result in a £120 fine plus the daily charge.
Polluted air is estimated to cause more than a thousand premature deaths a year here. And after the government was defeated multiple times by environmentalists in the High Court, the legal duty to fix that problem was passed to local authorities.
Enter the Clean Air Zone, which has become central to the proposed solution to keep them out of court.
But, despite a package of funding available for drivers to either buy new vehicles or retrofit their existing ones, there are growing concerns that, amid supply issues caused by the pandemic and Brexit, business owners will be left financially crippled.
The resulting fallout has prompted Mayor Andy Burnham to claim he's 'open to any solution' which might cut pollution without jeopardising jobs.
At a meeting of the Greater Manchester Air Quality Administration Committee on Thursday, members are recommended to approve writing to the Secretary of State requesting he agrees to pause the opening of the next phase of funds to support van drivers to retrofit or buy new vehicles.
This would allow an ‘urgent’ joint policy review with Government to deal with supply issues and ‘local businesses’ ability to comply’.
However, the Trafford Conservatives say this isn't enough.
Coun Nathan Evans, Leader of the Opposition at Trafford Council, said: “It’s clear there are huge problems with the unworkable plan but the announcement to ‘pause the funding for LGVs’ is just ‘re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic’."
“Trafford Conservatives are disappointed that the Plan hasn’t been scrapped or significantly scaled back.
"It is increasingly clear that the pre-Covid conceived plan will not deliver for the residents of Greater Manchester and will adversely impact tens of thousands of hard-working residents.
"It’s time that the Plan is suspended until an investigation has been concluded and its outcome considered by Trafford Council and the other Greater Manchester districts.”
They have submitted a motion to the January 2022 Trafford Council meeting, asking for the roll-out of the Clean Air Zone to be suspended.
The motion also requests that the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) establish a Joint Scrutiny Committee, consisting of elected members from across Greater Manchester to be established to initiate an’ independent investigation into the Greater Manchester Clean Air Final Plan’.
That Committee would scrutinise the investigations findings before they are then considered by the GMCA and the ten Greater Manchester districts.
The Manchester Evening News has asked the GMCA for comment.
