Newcastle councillors back "Clean Air Zone" in city centre, with charges for buses and coaches

Plans for a “Clean Air Zone” (CAZ) in Newcastle have received the backing of city councilors.

High polluting vehicles, including coaches, buses and HGVs, will be charged £50 to enter the city centre or cross the River Tyne.

The plan is designed to cut emissions and improve air quality.

The final proposals, which follow months of consultation, were approved at a meeting of Newcastle City Council on Wednesday night.

Taxis and vans will pay a lesser charge of £12.50 and private cars will be exempt from the toll.

An earlier proposal to charge all drivers entering the clear air zone £3.40 per day were abandoned after thousands of public complaints.

The council will also restrict traffic on the Tyne Bridge to one lane in either direction.

While acknowledging that the proposals were the best tenable option, Newcastle council leader Nick Forbes said it “penalises public transport first and private vehicles last”, adding that there was no way to move ahead with a toll “that does not offend or anger one group or another”.

In a statement, bus operator Go North East said: