Agenda item

Bath Clean Air Zone (CAZ)

Minutes:

Cathryn Brown delivered a presentation on the proposed option for a clean air zone in Bath.

 

Questions and comments were recorded:-

 

What will the effect be on tourism in our heritage city?

Ø  Yes, there will be changes needed for older non-compliant coach companies who will need to upgrade their vehicles or pay £100 each day they enter the zone.

 

Why not simply charge all vehicles that come into the city, would this not be fairer?

Ø  This has been suggested by a number of people. We are following the government guidance on how to approach implementing a scheme.

 

Do we have an idea of the amount of emissions that we want to reduce?

Ø  This is dependent on the levels at different locations around the City

Ø  We know some of our higher levels are in Dorchester Street and at the London Road

 

What happens if the targets set by government are not achieved?

Ø  If the targets are breached the Council are likely to receive fines from the government.

 

What about having moveable zones and charges?

Ø  This would require a further action plan.

 

If stopping cars is a priority for B&NES why did the Batheaston Park & Ride happen as a priority?  

Ø  This is a scheme that is about stopping non-compliant vehicles.

 

If we leave Europe do we still have to go ahead with this?

Ø  As this is already UK legislation, yes.

 

Will a CAZ really make a difference?

Ø  Yes, if we get the non-compliant vehicles out of the zone.

 

Where about are the air quality monitors situated?

Ø  You will see the test tube devices fixed to a number of lampposts in Bath.

 

The park and ride service does not offer any single tickets and is too expensive; the journey should be no more than £1 one way.

Ø  We have received lots of meaningful comments about park and ride, and we will have a new tender for the services in 2020.

 

Have alternative suitable routes been devised to help people to get around Bath? Rural areas suffer with rat runs and the shopping centres are suffering.

Ø  There has been traffic modelling carried out and maps are online which show the predicted changes in movement.

Ø  Further data is also being collected through the bands across the roads.

Ø  Ongoing monitoring of data will continue.

 

Congestion is a wider picture than just a CAZ.

Ø  This is a CAZ project which has been the directive and scope that we have been working towards.

Ø  WECA will publish the wider joint local transport plan next year.

 

How will people gain access to the Railway Station as it sits inside the zone?

Ø  This is a similar situation to the Sainsbury Supermarket at Pinesway and we are looking into possible options.

 

The East of Bath Park and Ride appear to have been abandoned due to cost rather than solving a problem.

Ø  There are valid reasons to have an East of Bath Park and Ride an these continue to be investigated.

 

Cities such as Birmingham and London have better transport systems which are also more affordable than ours. This CAZ is an expensive change that will be a greater tax burden on poorer people.

Ø  There are clear reasons that show that everybody gains from the health benefits that cleaner air will bring.

Ø  The social and economic impact will be felt differently by a range of groups, there will be levels of support that with the aim of overcoming the impact.

 

Cars which are less polluting such as hybrids’ do not get a full mention in the CAZ option. Without better public transport people can’t get ready for the changes. Charging is a punitive approach even with funding support.

Ø  We have looked at non charging approaches but none of these would have provided us with a good enough solution to get us to whee we need to be.

 

The recent First Bus services that were to be closed were saved through a B&NES Council intervention. There has to be greater support to rural transport initiatives if cars are not wanted in the CAZ.

 

When the CAZ starts to achieve the required levels, what then happens regarding the infrastructure that has been put in place and the cost associated with the collection of the charge?

Ø  There will be a smoothing fund

  

Supporting documents: