IMPORTANT UPDATE - Government denies request for Clean Air Zone funding, tells Leeds City Council to ask for less
The Council of Leeds was told to resubmit its offer because it is too expensive.
People who worked on plans for a Clean Air Zone in Leeds for years were returned to the drawing board. In October, Leeds City Council unveiled its plans and presented to the government a business case requesting £40 million to finance the scheme. The Council said that it needed the money to set up the necessary infrastructure and to support companies affected by the changes, as there are "potential consequences for the city's economic performance." This week, however, Minister of the Environment, Therese Coffey, wrote to the Council to resubmit his offer and ask for less money. James Lewis, Sustainability Executive Member, said: " The letter asks us to resubmit our offer, not to use our knowledge to best meet the city's needs, but to a predetermined and lower level of funding by the end of November.
“We are disappointed by this letter. The department has received drafts of the business case we submitted, yet with less than 14 months to go before the date of implementation set down in the Ministerial Direction, an unknown cap on the money available from government to support businesses and drivers has emerged. Despite this set back, we will continue to work with government to agree an acceptable package and we will continue to work to mitigate the impact of this on the sectors affected, including by ensuring sufficient individual support packages are provided.” He added: "There is also no recognition that, as no clean air charging zones have been implemented in the UK, no schemes such as interest free loans for TPH and HGV support packages have been implemented and therefore there is no evidence available on take up rates."
Mrs Coffey also said, however, that the Council is making good progress towards the introduction of a selective charge scheme for the zone. Under the current plans, bus owners, heavy goods vehicles and coaches entering the area would have to pay £50 per day, while taxis and private hire vehicles would be charged £12.50 per day from January 2020. They would only be charged if their vehicles did not comply with pre - established emission standards.
Ms Coffey's letter came a month after she refused to fund a flood defense scheme for Leeds of £112 million. All the MPs and leaders of the Leeds City Council made unsuccessful attempts to persuade the city to back a 1-in-200-year flood protection scheme on Wednesday 18 October. Instead, her department offered to invest up to £ 65 million in a flood defense scheme that would provide flood relief for one in seventy five years, but was later described as 'a kick in the teeth.'
People who worked on plans for a Clean Air Zone in Leeds for years were returned to the drawing board. In October, Leeds City Council unveiled its plans and presented to the government a business case requesting £40 million to finance the scheme. The Council said that it needed the money to set up the necessary infrastructure and to support companies affected by the changes, as there are "potential consequences for the city's economic performance." This week, however, Minister of the Environment, Therese Coffey, wrote to the Council to resubmit his offer and ask for less money. James Lewis, Sustainability Executive Member, said: " The letter asks us to resubmit our offer, not to use our knowledge to best meet the city's needs, but to a predetermined and lower level of funding by the end of November.
“We are disappointed by this letter. The department has received drafts of the business case we submitted, yet with less than 14 months to go before the date of implementation set down in the Ministerial Direction, an unknown cap on the money available from government to support businesses and drivers has emerged. Despite this set back, we will continue to work with government to agree an acceptable package and we will continue to work to mitigate the impact of this on the sectors affected, including by ensuring sufficient individual support packages are provided.” He added: "There is also no recognition that, as no clean air charging zones have been implemented in the UK, no schemes such as interest free loans for TPH and HGV support packages have been implemented and therefore there is no evidence available on take up rates."
Mrs Coffey also said, however, that the Council is making good progress towards the introduction of a selective charge scheme for the zone. Under the current plans, bus owners, heavy goods vehicles and coaches entering the area would have to pay £50 per day, while taxis and private hire vehicles would be charged £12.50 per day from January 2020. They would only be charged if their vehicles did not comply with pre - established emission standards.
Ms Coffey's letter came a month after she refused to fund a flood defense scheme for Leeds of £112 million. All the MPs and leaders of the Leeds City Council made unsuccessful attempts to persuade the city to back a 1-in-200-year flood protection scheme on Wednesday 18 October. Instead, her department offered to invest up to £ 65 million in a flood defense scheme that would provide flood relief for one in seventy five years, but was later described as 'a kick in the teeth.'
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