Rover
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I own a diesel 1991 classic Hymer and in the new plans for a Clean Air Zone in Portsmouth it includes the only accessible route for the Isle of Wight ferry, making it impossible to avoid roads that incur a daily £50 charge. Despite my venerable motorhome being a ‘classic’ it is only 30 years and not the 40 years to qualify as vintage and escape the penalty.
Continental ferries will only be accessible by coming into Portsmouth on either of the only two other roads, through busy residential urban areas with lots of stop start at traffic lights, crossings, etc and so much more pollution than the usual M275 straight into the port, without going into the city. This seems bonkers to me, especially as a Portsmouth resident.
I wrote to the council with a query on the ecological sense of forcing scrapping of older motorhomes and making the Isle of Wight impossible to reach any longer without a huge charge, and reminding them that much of the air particulate comes from tyres and brake pads, which exist on every vehicle, even so-called green electric vehicles. My letter to Portsmouth City Council had this unapologetic reply:
“Unfortunately larger, older motorhomes (pre Euro 6) will be charged to enter the Portsmouth CAZ (you can check if your vehicle will be charged at www.gov.uk/clean-air-zones). The charge will be £50 per day of entry, for non-compliant vehicles.
At a meeting of Portsmouth's Cabinet last month, it was decided that there would be no further scope to introduce exemptions to the CAZ. Where exemptions have been permitted, this has been for reasons such as the provision of the essential emergency services, animal welfare purposes, or where the owner faces unfeasible costs in replacing or upgrading their vehicles. Exemptions have been kept to a minimum as the longer it takes for vehicles to be upgraded to newer, less polluting models, the longer it will take to reach compliance with national limits of air pollution.”
So be warned if you visit Portsmouth to get to the Isle of Wight or France and Spain and check the CAZ to avoid the usual approaches.
Perhaps if they had enough complaints they might make a route possible for motorhomes?
Check the map here: https://travel.portsmouth.gov.uk/schemes/charging-clean-air-zone/
Continental ferries will only be accessible by coming into Portsmouth on either of the only two other roads, through busy residential urban areas with lots of stop start at traffic lights, crossings, etc and so much more pollution than the usual M275 straight into the port, without going into the city. This seems bonkers to me, especially as a Portsmouth resident.
I wrote to the council with a query on the ecological sense of forcing scrapping of older motorhomes and making the Isle of Wight impossible to reach any longer without a huge charge, and reminding them that much of the air particulate comes from tyres and brake pads, which exist on every vehicle, even so-called green electric vehicles. My letter to Portsmouth City Council had this unapologetic reply:
“Unfortunately larger, older motorhomes (pre Euro 6) will be charged to enter the Portsmouth CAZ (you can check if your vehicle will be charged at www.gov.uk/clean-air-zones). The charge will be £50 per day of entry, for non-compliant vehicles.
At a meeting of Portsmouth's Cabinet last month, it was decided that there would be no further scope to introduce exemptions to the CAZ. Where exemptions have been permitted, this has been for reasons such as the provision of the essential emergency services, animal welfare purposes, or where the owner faces unfeasible costs in replacing or upgrading their vehicles. Exemptions have been kept to a minimum as the longer it takes for vehicles to be upgraded to newer, less polluting models, the longer it will take to reach compliance with national limits of air pollution.”
So be warned if you visit Portsmouth to get to the Isle of Wight or France and Spain and check the CAZ to avoid the usual approaches.
Perhaps if they had enough complaints they might make a route possible for motorhomes?
Check the map here: https://travel.portsmouth.gov.uk/schemes/charging-clean-air-zone/
come in number six.