Pollution charge ‘threat’ to city building projects
MAJOR building projects in Birmingham city centre could be stalled if a clean air zone charge for lorries and vans goes ahead.
The Builders Merchants Federation warned that the charges could increase costs and delays to projects like Paradise Circus, Curzon Street Station and Smithfield and they said this could have a knock-on effect for the wider economy.
Birmingham City Council has been ordered by Government to introduce a clean air zone by 2020 to combat the dangerously high levels of vehicle pollution in the city centre.
It is estimated 900 residents a year die prematurely as a result of poor air quality.
The zone would charge polluting commercial vehicles like HGVs, buses, vans and coaches within Birmingham’s middle ring road.
Private vehicles would not be charged – but council bosses have not ruled out extending the scheme if pollution levels do not fall.
Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) West Midlands chairman Neil Lawrence, who runs Gibbs and Dandy, said: “As a local resident and business owner, of course I support the council’s intentions to make our air cleaner.”
“But my business relies on HGV lorries and flatbed trucks to deliver our products to building sites and would welcome a conversation with the council to discuss alternatives to the access restrictions and penalty charges that are due to be imposed.
“Alternative measures could be just as effective at improving air quality.”
The Federation is calling for the council or Government to offer help to firms to replace older polluting vehicles with cleaner and greener lorries.
National BMF director John Newcomb added: “We question the fairness in allowing different cities to adopt different criteria, such as excluding private cars from the charges.
“We believe that instead of the proposed policy, better traffic management locally should be emphasised to bring about lower emissions’ levels, alongside steps to discourage the parking of diesel cars in zones.”