LEZ zones (specifically Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead)

Better get back on topic.

So easy to wander off track, Sorry Caz.
The other thread on this was mine, This thread was started by Marie specifically about the Newcastle area ones. I'm lucky I don't go up that way very often but I'm finding the Birmingham one is a darn nuisance as I have to go miles out of my way to get round it if going to things south or east of the city centre.

The one that really worries me is the Greater Manchester one, currently delayed, as that covers lots of rural areas with campsites which i have used.
 
I hope that someone with deeper pockets than moi might fight it in court, there must be merit in a Moho being a private vehicle and exempt.

I didn't realise that there are even different classes of CAZs

 
Quick post as promised for completeness. I've checked all the CAZs listed on the Government site. It's worth pointing out that I've got a 22-year-old PHGV and so the following might be of limited use for those who have vans under 3.5 tonnes. Of the listed CAZs, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol and Portsmouth offered no relief.

Bath: Response within a few working hours although they say they might take up to 14 days. I can now 'enjoy' the discounted charge of £9 instead of the £100 that would have otherwise applied.

Sheffield: Response received almost immediately. I had to create an account but didn't have to enter any vehicle details. I should now be able to 'enjoy' the discounted fee of £10 instead of the £50 that would otherwise apply. However, each time I do I have to upload a scan of my V5C and photos of the front, rear, both sides and inside-rear of the van.

Tyneside: Response received within 24 hours as follows:
The exemption application has been successful
The reason for this is :
Vehicle Y****** is exempt from Newcastle/Gateshead Clean Air Zone charges, start date 09/06/2023
If you have any further enquiries regarding your application please contact Tyneside Clean Air Zone Team via email caz.exemptions@newcastle.gov.uk or by telephone on 0191278271.

I have no idea about Greater Manchester and it looks like all of the Scottish zones are non-starters for me!
 
For Scotland Find a blue badge holder they are fully exempt, I think they should be everywhere but...

the Blue badge holder does not have to be the driver but if say you wanted to take them with you for a day trip to Glasgow you would qualify for 36 months or until the badge runs out.
 
The other thread on this was mine, This thread was started by Marie specifically about the Newcastle area ones. I'm lucky I don't go up that way very often but I'm finding the Birmingham one is a darn nuisance as I have to go miles out of my way to get round it if going to things south or east of the city centre.

The one that really worries me is the Greater Manchester one, currently delayed, as that covers lots of rural areas with campsites which i have used.
FWIW, the data suggests that a CAZ is not required for Greater Manchester. Over the last two years, only one of the three local authority monitoring stations (Oxford Road) has reported high level of particulate pollution -- and that on just one day (14th February 2023). I suspect that's related to an incident that started at about 11:00am, peaked at midday and the amount of pollution was back to low by midnight. However, I couldn't find anything in the archives. The three stations have recorded 1, 2 and 13 days respectively with moderate pollution and the remainder of the two years has had low pollution. NOx has consistently been low throughout the same period. See Air Quality England website: https://www.airqualityengland.co.uk/local-authority/?la_id=219 is live summary for Manchester.

My biggest concern is that these CAZs appear to be motivated by a mixture of politics and greed rather than being necessary to curb pollution.
 
Bradford isn't even on the drop down list, there is only one pollution station and it is about 3-4 miles from the town centre, it is quite close to the M606, and right outside Morrisons where there is almost always a long queue of traffic as it is a huge junction of the ring road and the main Huddersfield to Bradford road so always busy but despite that it is only rated as level 1 so Bradford is already a CAZ already so why are we having to charge in the first place.

I have driven past here and looked on Google maps and cannot see the testing structure as shown on the Govs map.

1686316854255.png



1686317013472.png
 
That station is at GPS (53.771245, -1.759774), which is in Mayo Avenue opposite Matalan (according to Google Maps). It's a green cabinet with a caged NO2 sensor bolted to the top. That station hasn't seen a single day where the pollution level hasn't been low for the last three years. Here's a couple of images from Google Maps and Street View:

1686332037301.png

1686332065736.png
 
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Could someone please explain; What is the difference between a LEZ and a ULEZ also What is a CAZ?
 
Could someone please explain; What is the difference between a LEZ and a ULEZ also What is a CAZ?
Might be better Googling that for a proper explanation, I'm sure you don't just want the meaning of the letter.
 
Might be better Googling that for a proper explanation, I'm sure you don't just want the meaning of the letter.

I know what the letter’s mean (on the first two anyway) but what constitutes a LEZ or a ULEZ?,
What emissions must a vehicle produce to be classed in either of those categories?
Would it be like France where we are given a window sticker to state what category we are running under?
 
I'm afraid these restrictions are coming, like it, or not!
It's just another attempt to clamp down on travelling about, in vehicles. Sadly, the best years for wildcamping, are in the past. It's not just in the UK, of course, continental trips are becoming more difficult, with many areas that we have previously visited, becoming "No Go" zones. Unless you are rich enough to pay the fines, in which case just carry on as normal.
 
I checked with the reg no. for the LEZ now in Glasgow and was surprised that my camper is exempt from the charge as being over 30 years old it is classed as "historic vehicle". For it to be "historic" to be tax free with the DVLA it needs to be over 40 years old, not till another 8 years....
 
I checked with the reg no. for the LEZ now in Glasgow and was surprised that my camper is exempt from the charge as being over 30 years old it is classed as "historic vehicle". For it to be "historic" to be tax free with the DVLA it needs to be over 40 years old, not till another 8 years....
The Glasgow Scheme is a load of spherical objects [scratched by the male of the species on waking]. The Lord Provost's Official Car does not qualify for the Clean Air Zone, nor do some 600 Glasgow City Council vehicles ... But I bet there will be exemptions issued for all these vehicles ... Presumably the Lord Provost's flatulence output is perfumed ...

It seems that ALL of Glasgow City Council's Uplift Trucks, used for Parking Enforcement Towing Away, are non-compliant with their own Scheme ... And granting exemptions to historic vehicles, which, by definition cause more pollution than Euro 5 diesels et al, is just arrant nonsense, or utter bollocks

Steve
 
Seems like the exemption from being over 30 years old applies to all the Scottish LEZs. Good news for some of us! Agree its all utter bollocks - city air has never been cleaner in the UK, and what pollution there is seems to be the tiny pm2.5s which EVs generate far more than petrol and diesel vehicles owing to their greater weight and their high torque from start up. Its been said they wear out tyres 50% faster than conventional vehicles. LEZs seem to be one of the means being used to reduce private vehicle ownership.
 
(... but also other UK LEZ zones...?)

Was idly wondering about the recently acquired 2003 Autosleeper Gatcombe and whether we'll be liable for LEZ charges in Newcastle & Gateshead, or elsewhere in the country.

Looking up the registration number it is classified as a VW van not a motorhome, but found this list of exemptions which looks as though you can contact the council and get a permananent exemption if you send them info & photos etc.

https://www.breathe-cleanair.com/local-exemptions

How is everyone else with an older camper/moho dealing with this?

We're not big on travelling to or through cities normally, but I can see the local Newcastle/Gateshead situation might affect us going places in the camper from 12th July 2023, also if planning on visiting relatives in Glasgow or London etc.
i have a 2007 t5 panel van registered as disabled tax exempt so ulez etc doesnt apply
 
i have a 2007 t5 panel van registered as disabled tax exempt so ulez etc doesnt apply

How does that work and does it apply to all the CAZ/ULEZ zones in England and Scotland then? :unsure:

Is the van actually registered as disabled and shows up as such when you do the online DVLA database check?

That's great if you (or your van) is registered disabled, but obviously wouldn't work for everyone else 🤷‍♀️
 
I haven't checked in England but Scotland is easy to register for a disabled driver in the van, not sure about passenger, didn't check that as I'd always be there.
 
Bristol


 

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