Liverpool is moving closer towards charging drivers to enter the city centre, with senior councillors set to back the idea in principle.
The council’s cabinet is set to approve a report next week on the city’s Clean Air Plan, which is tasked with bringing pollution in Liverpool’s air down.
The report does not set out the boundaries of any proposed zone, the pricing of the charge or any potential exemptions, but concludes that a city-centre wide zone has so far appeared the best option.
Under the proposals in the report, city residents will soon be consulted on the proposals for the Clean Air Zone before its introduction.
The government ordered Liverpool and a number of other major cities to start drawing up plans for Clean Air Zones in 2019, based on their high levels of pollution.
As well as the charging zone, the report warns that Liverpool is likely to require other measures to bring pollution down to levels that are within the acceptable standards set by DEFRA.
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A map attached to the council report projects nitrogen dioxide levels exceeding acceptable levels at locations across Liverpool by 2022.
The report said: “More detailed and recent modelling has now confirmed that it is highly likely that a charging CAZ will be required to address the air quality exceedances in Liverpool.
“Cabinet are asked to note that the recent modelling identifies that in Liverpool a CAZ, even the highest category, on its own would not enable the full compliance requirement of mitigating all exceedances and that additional core measures will be necessary in the Clean Air Plan to be agreed with DEFRA.
“This report seeks approval to begin an official public and stakeholder conversation on the implications of the introduction of a City Centre CAZ prior to a statutory consultation in the summer of 2021 on the CAP and full range of interventions identified to mitigate all exceedances of nitrogen dioxide as mandated.”
City residents would be consulted on the proposals for the Clean Air Zone before its introduction.
There are a number of different types of Clean Air Zone, leading to different levels of restrictions dependent on vehicle type. They are also affected by the standard of the vehicle’s emissions.
As well as the charging zone, the report outlines a series of potential support to help buses, taxis and freight vehicles convert their vehicles to models which are less polluting.
Liverpool Council’s cabinet will consider the report next Friday.
