Clean air zone lifts air quality

New data shows air quality is improving both inside and outside the Bath clean air zone following the introduction of the scheme earlier this year.

A report reveals that nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels have dropped by more than 12 per cent compared with the same quarter in 2019, but four areas still have the potential to exceed government limits within the zone.

Cleveland Place East junction, Dorchester Street, Victoria Buildings and Wells Road near the Churchill Bridge gyratory may still exceed the level of NO2 allowed in government guidelines.

Cllr Sarah Warren (inset), deputy leader and cabinet member for climate and sustainable travel at Bath and North East Somerset Council, said it was “encouraging news” but that it was still “early days”.

The report also confirms that more than one thousand noncompliant vehicles have so far been approved for the council’s financial assistance scheme, in addition to businesses and people upgrading vehicles using their own resources.

The first of its kind data shows that the number of non-compliant vehicles entering the zone since it started has dropped.

Meanwhile, the percentage of compliant vehicles in the chargeable categories, which includes taxis, vans, LGVS, buses, coaches and HGVS, has increased by an average of 49 per cent over the same period.

All but three of the 220 buses that operate on scheduled routes in the zone and more than 90 per cent of HGVS and 90 per cent of taxis travelling into the zone are now compliant with emission standards.

The report, to be considered by cabinet today (September 9), is the first in a series which will regularly monitor the performance of the CAZ.

Ms Warren added: “This is very encouraging news. The aim of the clean air zone is to improve air quality and reduce pollution which can have a devastating impact on people’s health, triggering asthma attacks and making heart and lung conditions worse.

“I’m pleased that the early indications are that the clean air zone is working. It is, however, early days and more time is needed. Normal traffic volumes in the city have been affected by Covid and the closure of Cleveland Bridge has caused some temporary changes to traffic patterns.”

She continued: “I am also concerned that despite significant progress in reducing NO2 levels, there are still four locations in the city - Cleveland Place East junction, Dorchester Street, Victoria Buildings and Wells Road near the Churchill Bridge gyratory - where NO2 levels have the potential to exceed the government target we are aiming for.

“We will therefore continue to closely monitor the impact of the CAZ and our progress in quarterly reports. Our aim is to meet the government target in all locations, whilst minimising the social, economic and distributional impact of the zone on our residents and businesses.

“To achieve this, our current focus is on upgrading a relatively small cohort of commercial vehicles and, in particular, older highly polluting vans.

“I am pleased to see that the number of chargeable, noncompliant vehicles entering the zone each day has dropped over the past three months and I’d like to thank those residents and businesses who have already upgraded their vehicles and reorganised their fleets or who are making plans for their vehicles to become compliant with the zone’s emission standards.

“Of course, we are also keeping a very close eye on whether noncompliant traffic is being displaced to areas outside the CAZ.

“Traffic monitoring indicates that volumes are still down by 9 per cent compared with the same quarter in 2018, but we are investigating where residents and communities have raised concerns.

“Of the 15 sites where concerns were expressed four have been found to have no significant issues and investigations into the other eleven are ongoing.”

The clean air zone was launched on March 15 in a bid to urgently tackle harmful levels of air pollution caused by the most polluting taxis, vans, buses and larger commercial vehicles regularly driving in the city.

It was the first charging clean air zone to be launched outside London and works to reduce pollution in Bath by levying a £9 or £100 a day charge on anyone driving a chargeable higher emission vehicle in the zone.

This excludes private cars and motorcycles, which are not charged.

Grants and interest-free finance are available to encourage owners of non-compliant polluting vehicles to replace them with cleaner, compliant ones, not subject to charges.