Bid to delay Clean Air Zone is defeated after heated debate in Council chamber

With the zone, which will see the most polluting HGVs, vans, buses and taxis charged to enter Bradford and parts of Shipley, due to launch this Spring, Conservatives on the Council this week called for the proposals to be paused.

Their motion at meeting of Bradford Council on Tuesday evening, saw Conservatives claiming the plans would damage businesses, Labour hitting out at “deliberate disinformation” about the plans, and Liberal Democrats criticising both parties for turning an important public health issue into political football.

A motion by Conservative Councillor Sally Birch (Bingley Rural) called for the zone to be paused, or for it to be switched to a “non charging” clean air zone.

The motion was defeated after a heated debate where members were told that the Council had asked Government to alter the scheme to a non-charging zone, but that this request was refused.

A ministerial order to the Council issued by Government in 2018 called for the authority to reduce Bradford’s illegal levels of harmful air pollution by the end of 2022. A Clean Air Zone was deemed the fastest way to achieve this.

Originally due to be introduced in January but since been put back to “Spring 2022,” the zone would see the most polluting HGVs, vans, buses and taxis charged daily to enter the zone – which takes in the city, parts of Shipley and the corridor between the two areas.

Private vehicles would be exempt.

Millions in funding has been handed to businesses to upgrade their vehicles to compliant engines, although some businesses say the grants on offer will not cover the full costs of converting.

Cllr Birch was unable to attend the meeting due to testing positive for Covid 19.

Councillor Debbie Davies (Cons, Baildon) spoke on her behalf and said improving air quality in the District “should not be achieved at all costs.”

She added: “The charge will be a burden for businesses like taxi drivers and lead to possible increases in the costs of goods. It will lead to financial hardship for small businesses and possible job losses as businesses look to reduce fixed costs.”

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Cllr Davies also argued that it would increase congestion outside the Zone, as businesses choose to send drivers on longer routes to avoid the charging zones.

The lack of a definite start date for the Zone was leaving businesses “confused and worried” – she claimed.

Arguing the Clean Air Zone was not needed to encourage businesses to upgrade their vehicles, Cllr Davies said: “80 per cent of HGVs are already compliant with CAZ standards, 75 per cent of taxis are compliant and there is work to make more buses compliant. The Council is purchasing electric vehicles for its own use.”

She also said a number of road improvement schemes, including an upgrade to the Bradford to Shipley route, would likely improve air quality in the coming years.

Cllr Davies said the CAZ plans would have a “damaging” impact on freight operators, taxi companies and other business reliant on vehicles for work.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Executive for Healthy People and Places, said Bradford’s poor air quality meant one in five of the District’s children suffered a wheezing condition, and research showed pollution was harming children’s health even before they were born.

Cllr Ferriby added: “When we are elected as Councillors, we sign a declaration to do the best for our District – something I think all members of this Council need to remember. Sometimes that means doing the right thing, even when it isn’t easy. Poor air quality leads to life long health problems.”

She pointed out that the Council had been ordered to introduce the Clean Air Zone by Government, with the requirement to reduce air pollution by 2022.

Referring to Conservatives pointing out that Leeds had dropped it’s planned Clean Air Zone, Cllr Ferriby said it had just been paused, and Government was still monitoring Leeds’ air quality.

She added: “There is some deliberate misinformation being spread out there about this Clean Air Zone.”

Recent weeks have seen numerous posts on social media by anti Clean Air Zone campaigners, some of which falsely claim charges will soon be imposed on private vehicles.

Cllr Ferriby said 84 per cent of taxis were now compliant, and would not be charged.

She added: “No resident will be charged for using a private vehicle.

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“We asked the Government if we could revert to a non-charging zone. We were told no, because there would be zero chance of reaching the air quality levels we need to with it.”

Councillor Brendan Stubbs (Lib Dem, Eccleshill) said: “The main priority for all of us is the health and wellbeing of our citizens – above and beyond everything else.

“I almost respect Cllr Davies’ mental gymnastics, saying that almost every vehicle is already compliant, but then going on to say the charges would be an incredible burden.

“It is a shame we’re debating the Clean Air Zone again. It is a shame we are seeing this happen for no other reason than the blue and red teams wanting to kick the football around. That doesn’t help anyone.”

He said the lack of general understanding about the Clean Air Zone among the public was an example of “Labour leadership failing to take people on the journey with them.”

He added: “It will benefit the health of the general public, but the lack of communication means you’ve already lost the argument with the general public.”

Cllr Stubbs also hit out on the apocalyptic claims made by critics of the CAZ, many of whom argue it will “kill” Bradford of be the “final nail in the coffin.”

He said: “People make these claims that the world is going to end because of this.

“Introducing the minimum wage was supposed to decimate businesses but it didn’t. People said banning smoking in pubs was going to make England a terrible place to live – it didn’t happen.”

Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe said the Government had pushed to introduce Clean Air Zones across the country, but were now “running scared” of their own policy due to the anger it caused among many voters.

She also criticised the Conservatives on the Council for “playing to the gallery” by bringing a motion to full Council, arguing that months of work on the Zone had been done in other committee meetings that were “less glamorous and less well reported.”

She said: “Your speech is for show, and not to make a difference.”

Cllr Hinchcliffe said businesses can have up to three non-compliant vans, adding: “Most businesses won’t pay a penny. Also if you have a new vehicle on order that hasn’t arrived yet, you won’t have to pay for your old one.”

Councillor Kamran Hussain (Lab, Toller) said he had serious concerns about the Clean Air Zone and its impact on Bradford businesses. However, he said the Conservatives were “jumping on the bandwagon” and “distorting the truth” about the Government’s role in the scheme’s introduction.

He added: “Stop using taxi drivers as pawns in a political game.”

Cllr Davies pointed to an exchange in Parliament where Government seemed to imply that Bradford Council has pushed for a charging zone, rather than it being forced upon them.

Cllr Hinchliffe replied: “That question to the Tory Government was planted by a Tory MP to get an answer that they could stick on a Tory election leaflet.”

The Conservative motion was then defeated.