The Budget: implementing Clean Air Zones
If the Government goes ahead with the introduction of Clean Air Zones,
ministers must bring forward steps to support merchants to replace old
vehicles with viable and clean equivalents.
That is the message from the Builders Merchants Federation to the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond MP, ahead of his Budget
Statement on 8 March.
Central and local government are implementing Clean Air Zones to
improve air quality and tackle pollution from diesel vehicles. Several
local authorities aim to restrict access to their city based on the type
of fuel or vehicle - and businesses face new penalty charges to enter.
In its Budget representations, the BMF emphasised that members perform a
vital function as the ‘last-mile’ link in delivering to construction
sites. Merchants have no choice but to use diesel vehicles to deliver
heavy materials that use lifting gear to load & unload them. Unlike
buses, taxis or coaches, HGVs used by merchants do not make frequent
stops, on demand, for passengers.
John Newcomb, BMF Managing Director, said: "We support the Government’s
ambitions to improve air quality. However, the Chancellor must use his
Budget to demonstrate a willingness to work with merchants to ensure
that the Clean Air Zones do not restrict the delivery of materials to
construction sites”.
The UK Government has failed to bring down air pollution to within
legal limits - and has lost High Court and Supreme Court cases. Diesel
exhaust emissions are the main cause but those from home heating and our
sources are also involved. The Government’s preferred solution is a
network of Clean Air Zones covering large urban English local
authorities.
The first cities to implement Zones are Leeds, Derby, Nottingham,
Birmingham and Southampton. London already has an Ultra-Low Emissions
Zone. The BMF is concerned that (a) insufficient time exists to make
necessary operational changes and (b) SMEs face disproportionate costs.
Conservative MPs, the London Mayor and others are lobbying the
Chancellor to announce a diesel vehicle scrappage scheme, primarily for
private cars. The BMF argues the rise in commercial journeys means
action should be taken first to alleviate harmful emissions from HGVs
& LGVs.