In April last year, I was filmed walking down Goldfinch Drive in Bury with Laura Evans, then the Conservative candidate in the election for Greater Manchester’ mayor. The short film we made was posted on social media and highlighted our opposition to the proposed GM Clear Air Zone; this was reflected in the position adopted by Bury Conservatives at the local elections to take place on the same day.
However, Bury Labour Councillors were so confident in the plan for a Clean Air Zone they voted to endorse the scheme at a meeting of Bury Council on the 28th July 2021, with only the Conservatives opposing.
In my view, this tax is unnecessary, disproportionate, and plain wrong. It should be scrapped immediately. It will have a devastating impact on many businesses throughout the region and is a tax on people who simply wish to go about their lawful business, earning money to support their families and pay their essential bills.
The latest Air Quality Monitoring Data for the Metropolitan Borough of Bury covers the calendar year 2020 and shows the annual mean reading for all areas to be under the legal Nitrogen dioxide level of 40 ug/m3. The same data for 2021 will not be published until April of this year, and there’s very little evidence to suggest we will have seen substantial rises over this period. How can we possibly justify imposing such a draconian regime without up-to-date figures and with the most recent data showing we are under legal limits?
Documentation I have seen from TFGM states, “It is estimated that approximately at present 10% of the non-compliant LGV’s in Greater Manchester are retrofittable. Most owners will need to make use of our wider renewal scheme.” Based upon the original business case put forward by the 10 GM Local Authorities, this means an assumption that a van or motorhome driver within Bury could afford to buy a £20,000 plus van based on a proposed £3,500 grant. This is absolute madness and does not consider the fact that it is nearly impossible to purchase a new van without a substantial delay. Therefore, people are not able to remedy their transport to address the tax being imposed upon them.
The zone will be damaging to important parts of the local economy. Why would coaches come to Bury Market if they can go to Skipton Market or others where there is no charge? Businesses of all types who require to travel for their trade will be hit, and it is grossly unfair.
The Clean Air Zone is due to start in May of this year but must be scrapped without delay, and the £256 million cost of implementing the scheme is, in my view, a complete waste of money.
