This week, charges have come into force for drivers entering Birmingham City Centre. Despite launching at the start of June, the new Clean Air Zone has only now officially started charging motorists, following a two-week delay.
Drivers of a vehicle not meeting UK emission standards will incur a daily fee of £8 to drive through the zone, whilst buses and HGV drivers will pay £50 a day. All roads inside the Middleway ring road fall into the zone, but the circular route itself is not included.
The Zone offers huge potential. Long renowned as the ‘Motor City’, Birmingham City Centre has too long been the domain of the car at the expense of pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport.
The goal of the Clean Air Zone is first and foremost to improve Birmingham’s air quality. The UK’s Clean Air Zones – across the country’s major cities – could deliver an 18% reduction in NO2 and prevent at least 1% of deaths.
According to Birmingham City Council, air pollution contributes to 900 premature deaths a year. An adult breathes 15,000 litres of air every day. When we breath polluted air, pollutants get into our lungs; they can enter the bloodstream and be carried to our internal organs, including the brain. This can cause severe health problems such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, and even cancer. It reduces both quality and the number of years of life.
Despite this, the reaction of motorists has not been universally supportive, with 100,000 vehicles set to be affected. Protests and objections have mired the launch of the Clean Air Zone, resulting in a two-week delay to its launch.
However, the Clean Air Zone offers more than improved air quality. For a city which has been designed around the car, it is an opportunity to re-think our urban tapestry to create a place which is more welcoming, sustainable, and supports the well-being of citizens.
With a cleaner, healthier, environment it is more attractive to live in the city centre. Roads can be utilised for pavement cafes, or pocket parks. Multi-storey car parks can be re-developed to create new homes, shops, and bars.
Neighbourhoods will become self-sufficient, relying on 15-minute principles to provide the homes, shops, and amenities residents need without having to use a car.
These changes will drive a shift in demand, with people more willing to reside within the city centre demand for shops, cafes, and nightlife will increase. More people will be employed, more investment will flow, and more regeneration will happen.
There is hope that this new zone will also convince others, particularly in the construction sector, to pay closer attention to materials, clean technology, and sustainable construction methods. This would provide a further boost to the clean air initiative.
There will be challenges, and small businesses must be protected from the worst of the charges, but the Clean Air Zone is about more than clean air. It is an opportunity to re-imagine our city for the better.
We are at the start of an exciting transition.
