Sheffield Clean Air Zone rakes in £3.2 million through charges in eight months

A clean air zone in Yorkshire has made more than £3.2 million in charges in the last eight months.

The Sheffield CAZ was introduced in February, as air pollution is said to contribute to 500 deaths a year in Sheffield.

It can cause strokes, lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. Experts say living next to a busy road carries the same risk as passively smoking 10 cigarettes a day. Children are particularly vulnerable.

It covers the A61 inner ring road and city centre.

Now, eight months after the scheme launched, a Sheffield councillor said the CAZ charges up to the end of September totalled £3,285,600 - the scheme costs came to £4,258,746.

Cllr Ben Miskell said there may be profit made in the future from the charges and that the council needs to have a plan in place for how it would be spent, which will be discussed at the committees next meeting.

Who is charged for going through the clean air zone?

Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras will detect vehicles which do not comply with emissions standards.

A £10 charge will be introduced for the following vehicles:

• Taxis, including both hackney carriages and private hire vehicles, which are below Euro 6 Diesel or Euro 4 Petrol standards

• Light goods vehicles (LGVS) such as vans, campervans and pickup trucks and minibuses which are below Euro 6 Diesel or Euro 4 Petrol standards

A £50 charge will be introduced for the following vehicles:

• Buses and coaches which are below Euro 6 Diesel standards

• Heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) which are below Euro 6 Diesel standards

Payments will have to be made online within seven days. Additional charges may apply if the deadline is missed.