Support for fuel centre to lift city’s air quality

A NEW “advanced fuel centre” that will allow upgraded vehicles to be powered by compressed gas has been backed by senior councillors in Bradford.

The proposal will see the facility created at the waste centre on Bowling Back Lane, and is part of efforts to improve the district’s air quality.

At a meeting of Bradford Council’s executive, members voted to back the £1.8m project, which will see the Household Waste Recycling Centre moved to another section of the site, with a new access road from Birkshall Lane.

Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe said: “I can’t express how excited I am to see this on the agenda.”

A report to the executive said work would start next year to upgrade the council’s vehicle fleet from petrol and diesel to greener energy.

Over seven years, 77 “heavy duty” vehicles will be converted to run on compressed natural or biomethane gas.

They would be able to re-fuel at the new site, which the council hopes to be operational next year.

The report said the vehicles which will be replaced each consume, on average, 14,000 litres of diesel every year.

Earlier this year, the council carried out a consultation on plans to introduce a Clean Air Zone that would cover much of Bradford’s city centre as well as Shipley.

The move followed a “Ministerial direction” to Bradford Council from the government in 2018, which ordered the reduction in pollution to legal levels as soon as possible.

If implemented, the Clean Air Zone would see the most polluting lorries, busses and taxis charged up to £50 a day to enter the clean air zone.

Owners of the selected vehicles would be offered grants to upgrade to less polluting fuel, allowing them to avoid the charge.

Private vehicles would be exempt from the Clean Air Zone.