Greater Manchester updates on Clean Air Plan progress

Greater Manchester’s (GM) Air Quality Administration Committee met on Thursday 13 July, to consider an update on the city region’s investment led, non-charging Clean Air Plan (CAP). 

In February 2023, Government wrote to GM to ask for additional evidence to enable them to further consider the case for the city-region’s non-charging approach, including benchmarking local proposals against a charging zone model for central Manchester and Salford. The city-region was due to submit this further evidence in June 2023; part of the modelling included the emissions benefits of what is known as a bus ‘retrofit’ programme, which has now been put under review by government.

The city-region has already used government Clean Bus Funds to retrofit more than half of the region’s buses with emission-reducing technology; however, early research has found that retrofitting has delivered ‘variable’ results in reducing emissions, thus impacting the air quality benefits of the city-region’s proposals under new government guidance. GM leaders have now written to the Environment Secretary to request that modelling for the Clean Air Plan takes into account government’s bus retrofit review study findings, due to conclude in autumn 2023.  

Greater Manchester had been set to implement a Clean Air Zone in early 2022, charging non-compliant higher emissions commercial vehicles a daily charge for driving in the city-region in order to reduce air pollution. Challenges resulting from the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic alongside global supply chain issues meant saw the scheme postponed with the city-region instead entering negotiations with government to move forward with an investment-led non-charging alternative. The scheme would rely on grants and support for commercial vehicle owners to change to electric and other low-emission alternatives, or retrofit existing vehicles to reduce the levels of NOx gas released.

Funding applications from eligible HGV owners are still being accepted for vehicle upgrades and bus operators for replacement vehicles. However, the roll out of bus retrofit funding has been paused pending the outcome of the government’s review.

As GM’s new Clean Air Plan is being informed by ongoing work, the delivery of clean air funding support for other vehicles is under review. We continue to work with impacted groups to make sure government funding is used in the best way in support of an investment-led plan.