Don’t miss out on vehicle upgrade funding
People and businesses are being urged to take advantage of funding to help upgrade older vehicles.
Grants are still available to help replace non-compliant vehicles that are affected by the Clean Air Zone.
For those with non-compliant vans, this could mean up to £4,500 towards the cost of a replacement vehicle.
Changes to the grants criteria last year meant more local people and businesses with non-compliant vans were eligible to apply for funding. Hundreds who had previously been unsuccessful were invited to reapply, with many going on to receive a grant.
And with funding still available, Newcastle and Gateshead councils are urging anyone who hasn’t yet applied, to do so.
Those who have been awarded funding but not yet claimed it are also being encouraged to complete their claims and vehicle upgrades.
Cllr Juna Sathian, Cabinet Member for Climate and Transport at Newcastle City Council said: “Since the launch of the grants scheme we’ve provided funding worth £4.7m to help local businesses, tradespeople and taxi drivers replace older and more polluting vehicles with newer, cleaner models.
“This is helping to improve our air quality, which is the purpose of the Clean Air Zone.
“We still have grant funding available for vehicle upgrades and I would encourage others to take advantage of it.”
Councillor John McElroy, cabinet member for the environment and transport at Gateshead Council said: “We want to encourage those who are eligible to apply for this funding.
“We want as many journeys as possible in the Clean Air Zone to be in compliant vehicles – and these grants are an excellent route to obtaining those, and keeping older, polluting vehicles off the roads.”
Air pollution is known to have a harmful impact on people’s health, particularly children, older people and those with existing health conditions such as asthma.
The Newcastle and Gateshead Clean Air Zone was introduced by local councils in response to a legal order from government demanding that action be taken to reduce illegal levels of pollution in certain areas.
The CAZ is designed to discourage people and businesses from using older, more highly polluting vehicles in order to reduce harmful traffic-related emissions.
Alongside the CAZ, which charges non-compliant taxis, vans, buses, coaches and HGVs to enter the zone, grant funding was made available to support those affected to upgrade to cleaner vehicles. Privately owned cars are not affected by the CAZ.
Full details about the grants scheme, including a helpful checklist with details about eligibility and how to apply can be found on the Clean Air Zone website. Visit Application checklist — BREATHE Clean Air to find out more.