Clean Air Zone - Newsletter July 2022

Plans for a phased CAZ launch

You might have seen in the media that we’ve set out plans for a phased introduction of the Clean Air Zone.
Subject to government approval, this would mean charging for non-compliant vehicles would not start until 2023.
This would give affected drivers and vehicle owners time to prepare, including time to apply for vehicle upgrade grants in advance of the CAZ starting, while still ensuring we meet air quality compliance targets next year.
The plans that have been agreed by Newcastle and Gateshead councils have also been sent to government ministers for their approval.
There are three key dates to be aware of:

  • November 2022 – this is when the Clean Air Zone would be brought into operation, although at this stage there would be no charges for non-compliant vehicles. Instead those vehicle owners who have entered the zone would be sent a letter to let them know that they would face a charge in future along with details of how to apply for a vehicle upgrade grant.

  • 30 January 2023 – from this date all non-compliant taxis, private hire vehicles, buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles would be charged to enter the zone. Non-compliant vans and light goods vehicles would not be charged at this point.

  • 17 July 2023 – from this date non-compliant vans and light goods vehicles would also be charged to enter the CAZ. The decision to delay charging for drivers of these vehicles was made in response to the national vehicle shortage which is making it harder and more expensive to upgrade.

These proposals are awaiting government approval and we’ll keep you updated when we hear more.
You can read more about this in our latest news story.

Grants for vehicle upgrades

We’re expecting to be able to provide vehicle upgrade grants from October 2022.
If you have applied for funding and are in the process of upgrading your vehicle when CAZ charging is introduced you may be entitled to an exemption from paying the charges until this upgrade is completed.
There is a total of £18.2m of funding for taxi, van and HGV upgrades and we are in the process of appointing a finance provider to manage and distributed these grants. Wider finance packages to cover vehicle purchase costs will also be available through this specialist provider.
A separate fund of £1.7m will be administered directly by the councils for bus operators.
Read more about vehicle upgrade grants.

Exemptions

Some vehicles will be exempt from paying CAZ charges.
In some cases, this will be a national exemption, which applies to all Clean Air Zones.
There are also exemptions that are agreed locally and, in the case of the Newcastle and Gateshead CAZ, these now include emergency bus and coach rail replacement services, bus and HGV driver training vehicles, breakdown recovery vehicles, hybrid vehicles and taxis, private hire vehicles and vans belong to people living within the CAZ area.
Find out more about which exemptions apply to the Newcastle and Gateshead Clean Air Zone.

Which vehicles are affected?

Not all vehicles will be charged to enter the Clean Air Zone and it’s important to check whether you will be affected. You can do this by entering your vehicle registration number into the government’s online vehicle checker.
Private cars, motorbikes and any vehicle that meets national CAZ emissions standards will not have to pay.
The Newcastle and Gateshead Clean Air Zone is a Class C CAZ, which means that charges will only apply to taxis, including private hire vehicles, vans, buses, coaches and HGVs that do not meet national emissions requirements.
You can find details on the Breathe website about how the CAZ may affect you if you drive:

  • A taxi or private hire vehicle. To meet minimum emissions standards your vehicle must have a Euro 6 diesel engine (registered after September 2015) or a Euro 4 petrol engine (registered after 2005).

  • A van or light goods vehicle. To meet minimum emissions standards your van must have a Euro 6 diesel engine (registered after September 2016) or a Euro 4 petrol engine (registered after January 2006).

  • A bus or coach. The minimum emissions standard for buses and coaches is Euro VI (registered after 2014).

  • A heavy goods vehicle. The minimum emissions standard for HGVs is Euro VI (registered after 2014).

If you know someone who would find this information useful please share it with them and let them know that they can sign up for direct updates.

Helen Stuart