Update: Clean Air Zones

Clean Air Zones update

Clean Air Zone sign

A clean air zone is an area where targeted action is taken to improve air quality and resources are prioritised and coordinated to specifically focus on tackling NO2 concentrations in areas that are breaching legal limits.

The UK is compliant with other limit levels of exhaust pollutants, but clean air zone will also help to reduce public exposure to pollutants such as particulate matter and NOX.

Central to the introduction of a clean air zone is consistency in the type of vehicles which will be allowed free entry. In general, vehicles such as lorries and buses, or high-frequency users such as taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) emit higher levels of pollutants within a zone on a per-vehicle basis. Clean air zones have been grouped into classes covering different vehicle types which have been set out below.

There are 4 types of clean air zones, Class A to D.

Class Vehicle type

A Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles

B Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles

C Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans, minibuses

D Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans, minibuses, cars, the local authority has the option to include motorcycles

Vehicle type Clean air zone minimum standard

Buses, coaches, heavy goods vehicles Euro VI

Vans, minibuses, taxis, private hire vehicles, cars Euro 6 (diesel) and Euro 4 (petrol)

Motorcycles Euro 3

Cities in the UK with clean air zones

Bath has a Class C clean air zone.

Birmingham has a Class D clean air zone.

Bradford has a Class C clean air zone.

Portsmouth has a Class B clean air zone.

Bristol has a Class D clean air zone and started charging on 28 November 2022.

Future clean air zones

Greater Manchester (under review).

Sheffield will start charging in early 2023.

Tyneside (Newcastle and Gateshead) will start charging in winter: late 2022 to early 2023.