Agenda item

Report to follow

The Cabinet gave consideration to a report of the Deputy Chief Executive, People and Place which set out the proposed Greater Manchester Final Clean Air Plan and policy following a review of all of the information gathered through the GM CAP consultation and wider data, evidence and modelling work which is to be agreed by the ten Greater Manchester local authorities.

In Greater Manchester, the ten GM local authorities, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), collectively referred to as “GM”, had worked together to develop a Clean Air Plan to tackle NO2 Exceedances at the Roadside, referred to as GM CAP.

This report set out the progress made on the GM Clean Air Plan, the report was supported by the following documents which are proposed and subject to approval by the ten GM local authorities:

Appendix 1 – GM CAP Policy following Consultation

Appendix 2 – GM CAP Equality Impact Assessment following Consultation

Appendix 3 – AECOM Consultation Report

Appendix 4 – Response to the Consultation

Appendix 5 – Impacts of COVID-19 Report

Appendix 6 – Air Quality Modelling Report following Consultation and with COVID-19 impacts

Appendix 7 – Economic Implications of CAP following Consultation and with COVID-19 impacts

Appendix 8 – Update on Other Cities’ Clean Air Plans

Appendix 9 – Compliance with the Secretary of State’s Direction

Appendix 10 – Clean Air Zone, ANPR and Signage Locations

The proposed final GM Clean Air Plan set out final proposals for:

the boundary, hours of operation, management of the scheme, discounts, exemptions and daily charges of a Clean Air Zone;

the amount of supporting funds for each vehicle type; and

other supporting measures.

The proposed final GM CAP policy, which was summarised in this report, and attached at Appendix 1. In relation to the Clean Air Zone (CAZ), it covered the operation and management of the GM CAZ. The anticipated implementation date of the charging CAZ was Monday 30 May 2022 when the charges would apply to non-compliant buses, HGVs, and Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Vehicles licensed outside of Greater Manchester.  Non-compliant LGVs, minibuses and coaches, and GM-licensed Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Vehicles would be subject to the charges from 1 June 2023 when a temporary exemption expires. 

The boundary of the CAZ would cover the whole of Greater Manchester excluding the strategic Road Network (SRN) which is managed by Highways England. The daily charges remain the same as at consultation. Lower charges would mean more people are likely to pay the charge, rather than upgrade their vehicle, which would impose costs onto businesses without delivering air quality benefits. Improved support to businesses is proposed to provide a better mitigation than lower charges. One such mitigation is extended temporary exemptions, which include all LGVs and minibuses, GM-licensed hackney carriages and Private Hire Vehicles (PHVs) and all coaches. These exemptions are now proposed to be in place until 31 May 2023. Providing a full 12-month exemption, gives those with non-compliant vehicles more time to upgrade, alongside support funds to assist businesses, individuals and organisations to upgrade their non-compliant vehicles.

Feedback from the consultation and consideration of the impact of COVID-19 on Greater Manchester has been used to better understand the requirements of those businesses, individuals and organisations who most need the support to upgrade. It is therefore proposed to amend the support funds from those consulted upon.   The final proposed policy increases the funding per vehicle for Private Hire Vehicles, coaches, HGVs and vans whilst remaining the same for other vehicle types. There are also more options for replacement and retrofit for hackney carriages, PHVs, minibuses and vans.

The proposed final GM Clean Air Plan did not include a Hardship Fund. Although feedback from the consultation and the impact of COVID-19 research found that further support was required for GM businesses, Government Ministers do not agree that a Hardship Fund is the best way to mitigate the impact of uncertainty due to the pandemic. Ministers cite other government schemes being available to address wider business impacts. However, Government have confirmed that they wish to ensure that Clean Air Funds can be adapted if necessary; and, that they will continue to work with GM to understand the situation, including the funding position, if the impacts prove to be more severe than forecast.

The proposed final GM Clean Air Plan also explains the next steps with the taxi charging infrastructure and the Try Before You Buy Hackney Carriage scheme. The changes within these schemes have been determined by the funding allocated to GM from Government as well as feedback from the consultation.

This report summarises the Air Quality Modelling of the final CAP package, taking into account the impacts of COVID-19, which concludes that the proposed final Plan will achieve compliance with the legal limits for Nitrogen Dioxide within Greater Manchester in the shortest possible time and by 2024 at the latest as required by the Ministerial Direction.

The report also sets out:

·         the key findings of the consultation.

·         highlights from the proposed GM Response to the consultation Report.

·         the findings from the Impact of COVID-19 research, which looks at the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential economic and behavioural changes that may occur.

·         the key findings of the GM CAP Equality Impact Assessment following consultation.

·         the latest position on Government funding, an update on the bus retrofit fund and progress on the GM Clean Air Zone, including signage and governance.

Making the charging scheme is desirable to facilitate the achievement of the local transport policies of the 10 GM local authorities and the GMCA, in particular policy 8 of the 2040 Transport strategy. The GM CAP has been developed, in-line with the 2040 Transport Strategy principles and vision. The 2040 Strategy provides a long-term vision for transport provision in Greater Manchester, along with specific principles and targets for achieving that vision, to ensure that available resources are used to contribute to achieving the region’s strategic transport objectives.

RESOLVED – That:

1.    The progress of the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan be noted.

2.    The progress in the distribution of Bus Retrofit funding be noted.

3.    Ministers’ agreement to include the sections of the A628/A57 in Tameside which form part of the Strategic Road Network within the Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) and their request for Tameside MBC, TfGM and Highways England to establish the most appropriate solution for the charging mechanism to be applied on this section of the Strategic Road Network (SRN) be noted.

4.    The GM Clean Air Plan Policy, at Appendix 1 be approved noting that the policy outlined the boundary, discounts, exemptions, daily charges of the Clean Air Zone as well as the financial support packages offered towards upgrading to a compliant vehicle, including the eligibility criteria to be applied.

5.    The Equalities Impact Assessment, as set out at Appendix 2 be agreed.

6.    The AECOM Consultation Report, as set out at Appendix 3 be agreed.

7.    The proposed Response to the Consultation at Appendix 4 which has been prepared by TfGM on behalf of the ten GM local authorities be agreed.

8.    The Impacts of COVID-19 Report, as set out at Appendix 5 be agreed.

9.    The Modelling report of the final CAP package, as set out at Appendix 6, and in particular that the modelling outputs of the final plan scheme show the achievement of compliance with the legal limits for Nitrogen Dioxide in the shortest possible time and by 2024 at the latest as required by the Ministerial Direction be agreed.

10.The economic implications of the CAP Report, as set out at Appendix 7 be agreed.

11.The update on the GM Minimum Licensing Standards, set out in section 3.1, and in particular that licensing conditions will not be used to support delivery of the GM Clean Air Plan be noted.

12.A 6-week public consultation on the inclusion of motorhomes classified as MSP1 in the GM Clean Air Zone and on the inclusion of the A575 and A580 at Worsley commencing on 1 September 2021 and delegate authority to the Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Resources and the Deputy Chief Executive to approve the consultation materials be agreed.

13.The GM Clean Air Charging Authorities Committee has the authority to make the Charging Scheme Order which establishes the GM Charging Scheme in line with the agreed GM Clean Air Plan Policy be noted.

14.The GM Charging Authorities Committee has the authority to vary the Charging Scheme Order if this is established as the most appropriate charging mechanism to be applied on sections of the A628/A57 part of the Strategic Road Network (SRN) in Tameside be noted.

15.The Air Quality Administration Committee has the authority to agree the final form of the Operational Agreement for the Central Clean Air Service, and to authorise the making of the Agreement, on behalf of the ten GM local authorities be noted.

16.It be noted that the Air Quality Administration Committee has the authority to:

17.The reallocation of funding from the Try Before You Buy scheme to provide additional electric vehicle charging points dedicated for use by taxis be approved.

18.Authority be delegated to the GM Charging Authorities Committee the authority to determine the outcome of the consultation on both the inclusion of motorhomes classified as MSP1 within the scope of Clean Air Zone charges and on the inclusion in the GM Clean Air Zone of the A575 and A580 at Worsley following the conclusion of that consultation;

19.The Clean Air Zone ANPR and signage locations, as set out at Appendix 10 be approved.

20.A delegation to Deputy Chief Executive and the Member for Finance and Corporate Resources be agreed to approve the submission of the Interim Full Business Case if required and the Member for Finance and Corporate Resources and  Deputy Chief Executive, the Full Business Case (FBC) to the Government's Joint Air Quality Unit to support the GM Clean Air Plan and any supplementary information to that Unit .