Builders avoiding work inside CAZ, says consultant
Job adverts for builders in Bath are specifying if the job is within the clean air zone or not, as traders opt not to face charges, according to one industry expert.
Julian Harvey, a construction consultant for Logical Agency, who has been working in Bath for the last ten years finding traders for jobs within the city, said that he marks jobs as “noncaz” or “CAZ” as traders push back against charges.
Mr Harvey, from Midsomer Norton, said: “I’m finding traders don’t want to pay the day rate of driving into the zone.”
He continued: “They’re unprepared to pay the fine and lose £45 a week to do a job in the city centre.
“For a recent job back in June and July I couldn’t get the bricklayers I needed as they didn’t want to pay it.
“When people are looking for jobs they want to know if it’s in or out of the zone, if it’s inside I can’t get anyone for the job.
“There is a lot of work around so they would opt to do the work elsewhere in Frome or Chippenham say, which doesn’t incur costs.”
He continued: “It is a good thing for the city centre, I can see their reasoning but it’s not helped my job.
“I do work that covers Bristol and Bath, with 60 per cent being Bath before but now I’d say that has dropped to 15 per cent. Local traders are having the same constant issue.
“If I’ve got a job in Bath I tell some guys to take their own car to avoid the charge but if they’ve only got a van they’ll turn the job down.
“I decided to advertise jobs being CAZ or non-caz as some people assume all of Bath is under it or don’t know it’s not everywhere. The clean air zone has had teething problems, it’s a good idea but unfortunately professionally it is the worst thing that could have happened to me.”
Local carpenter Sean Dudden, pictured, 51, from Twerton, who runs Dustland Fairytale Antiques in Midsomer Norton, said he thinks the solution could be to give traders a discount. He said: “I know lots of lads who aren’t up for paying the fine and won’t work in Bath. “I see job ads coming in saying if they’re in the zone or not. “The thing is, traders don’t want to pay for it regardless of what a job may make for them. “I’m glad I’ve got the shop in Midsomer Norton now as it’s free for me to get there and work there. I used to do loads of shop fronts in Bath. “One solution could be to give tradies a discount to get them back into the city.” The clean air zone was brought in in March this year because several places in Bath currently exceed the legal limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution, which is mainly caused by vehicle emissions and damages health.