An outline business case for the city region’s Clean Air Plan was approved by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority on Friday. It is now due for approval by each of the authority’s constituent councils, before going to Government at the end of the month.

The plan aims to reduce harmful nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions and includes the largest clean air zone outside of London, a programme of low emission upgrades to vehicle fleets and new electric charging infrastructure.

The zone would require owners of high polluting HGVs, buses, taxis, private hire vehicles, vans and minibuses – but not private cars – to pay a daily penalty to drive in Greater Manchester from 2021. This would amount to £7.50 for taxis and vans, but shoots up to £100 for HGVs and buses.

Bus company First Manchester’s managing director Ian Humphreys commented: “We fully support the need to improve air quality and the environment across the Greater Manchester area.

“We are however disappointed to learn that additional taxation is to be used as the first key step in the plan.” He noted that this cost would ultimately be passed on to bus passengers, who “should be encouraged and rewarded for their choice of travel mode rather than being penalised”.

Freight Transport Association head of policy for the North of England Malcolm Bingham said: “A charging CAZ of this scale would cause operating costs for some small businesses to soar, unfairly penalising the hard working companies and individuals that keep Greater Manchester’s economy thriving, while ignoring other contributors to emissions levels across the city.”

Estimates suggest that polluted air contributes to the equivalent of 1200 deaths a year in Greater Manchester, with road transport causing 80% of NO2 emissions at the roadside, mainly from diesel vehicles.

Transport for Greater Manchester says that, according to its modelling, charging the most polluting private cars to enter the clean air zone would not reduce air pollution levels any quicker.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “This is not a congestion charge by the front door or back door. Instead, this is a balanced package of measures to clean up our air without punishing businesses or deprived communities.

“But we need Government to guarantee the right level of funding to help us tackle the scale of the problem without damaging our local economies. That includes adequate financial support so we can help businesses make the change to cleaner vehicles.”

(Photograph: simon835 and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence)