Consultation launched on future of Clean Air Zone cameras

With plans scrapped to introduce a charging Clean Air Zone on Greater Manchester roads, a consultation has launched to determine the future of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras installed across the city-region.

Greater Manchester residents are being invited to give their views on plans to transfer control of the Clean Air Zone cameras to Greater Manchester Police (GMP). A formal consultation launched on 26th September for six weeks now that the cameras are no longer required for their original purpose.

While GMP can already access information and number plate images from the cameras, the police need to request permission from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), which takes time and causes delays. Transferring ownership to GMP would allow camera data to go straight into local police systems, so that officers can act more quickly in real-time to help keep communities safe and solve serious crimes. It would also bring GMP’s ANPR infrastructure in line with other metropolitan police forces across England.

It’s proposed that anonymised data from the cameras can still be used to monitor how well the investment-led (non-charging) Clean Air Plan is performing until Greater Manchester meets legal limits for nitrogen dioxide emissions in 2026.

Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester for Safer and Stronger Communities, Kate Green, said: 

“These cameras have already provided crucial evidence to solve serious crimes in Greater Manchester, but the current process creates delays in investigations where time is of the essence. Now the charging Clean Air Zone isn’t going ahead, our plan is to provide value for money by putting this existing infrastructure to good use tackle criminal behaviour and keep our communities safe.

“Bringing them permanently into the existing GMP network will bring our ANPR coverage up to a level that’s comparable with other city regions, and provide the police with real-time access to number plate data.

“The cameras will still have a secondary role to play in making sure the investment-led Clean Air Plan is on track, as well as support transport planning. But we want to hear what residents think of the change in the main use and ownership of the cameras.”

Chief Superintendent Neil Jones, Greater Manchester Police, said:   

“We don’t have the same level of ANPR cover that other similar forces have, and this can hold us back in protecting the public. The data supplied from these ANPR cameras has already played a key role in GMP investigations ranging from missing persons to serious crimes such as sexual assault and murder.  

“By taking on ownership of the cameras and having a direct feed into our network, we’ll be able to act even more swiftly to protect people and communities and bring criminals to justice. 

“ANPR technology is crucial for detecting, deterring, and disrupting criminal activities.?It plays a significant role in detecting criminal and organised crime groups using the road network, and is crucial in pursuing lines of enquiry, investigating and providing evidence in murder, kidnapping, burglary and serious road traffic collision cases.  

“We take privacy concerns very seriously and are committed to ensuring we follow national guidelines, including regular reviews that consider camera locations and impacts on privacy.” 

As part of the consultation, people can find out more about the change, and submit any comments or questions online here before it closes at 11.59pm on Thursday 6 November. A decision on future arrangements is expected by the end of 2025.