Portsmouth CAZ to launch at the end of November

Portsmouth’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) is set to be introduced on November 29. 

At Portsmouth City Council’s October cabinet meeting a recommendation will be made to councillors that the legal order for the Portsmouth CAZ is approved, meaning that the charging of non-compliant vehicles will begin at the end of November. 

Portsmouth City Council was issued with a ministerial directive in March 2020 to introduce a Class B charging Clean Air Zone in the southwest of the city.

Once introduced, non-compliant vehicles are buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles and heavy goods vehicles that do not meet Euro 6 standards if diesel, or below euro 4 standards if petrol. 

Vans and private cars will not be charged, no matter how old the vehicle is. 

Cllr Dave Ashmore, the cabinet member for community safety & environment, said: ‘We’ve been working hard to make sure that anyone that may be charged as part of the CAZ has been informed and supported, and in many cases, we’ve been able to offer support for owners to upgrade their non-compliant vehicles. We’ve also made sure that systems are all in place ahead of launch so that it goes as smoothly as possible.

‘Although a Clean Air Zone is not our preferred option for improving air quality in Portsmouth, we are required by the central government to launch the zone and I will make sure all the details we need to implement the CAZ are in place when we review the recommended launch date.’

There is still funding available for non-compliant vehicles to upgrade ahead of the CAZ – contact cazhelpdesk@portsmouthcc.gov.uk for more information.

Photo by Mangopear creative