Low emission zone

A Low emission zone, a Clean air zone or similar is a geographic area with restrictions on vehicle entry, based on emission standards. Vehicles which do not meet the standards are typically subject to a daily charge to enter or drive in the zone. Some zones have other restrictions on speed, parking or loading.

Early zones

The Environment Act 1995 places a statutory duty on Local Authorities to monitor and manage air quality. Low emission zones are one option for achieving this. The UK's first Low emission zones were the London Low Emission Zone[1] and Norwich Low Emission Zone,[2] both launched in 2008. The Norwich zone was modest in scope, focused solely on bus companies; London's zone, championed by Ken Livingstone as Mayor of London, was far more ambitious, covering lorries, buses, coaches, large vans (exceeding 1.205 tonnes unladen weight) and minibuses (over eight seats plus the driver's seat and below 5 tonnes) in most of Greater London.

Post emissions scandal

The 2015 Volkswagen emissions scandal[3] raised the profile of the role of vehicles, and particularly diesel vehicles, in contributing to air pollution levels. This in turn increased pressure on local authorities to meet their obligations with regards to air pollution; despite falling levels, air pollution in 2017 remained above legal in limits in over 40 UK towns and cities.[4][5]

This pressure has led to a new wave of emissions zones being implemented or proposed in the late 2010s. The majority of new zones initially were targeted at buses and/or HGVs,[6]but many include proposals to be extended to all vehicles which fail to meet emissions standards at a later stage. The first comprehensive zone covering all vehicles, the London Ultra Low Emission Zone, was introduced in April 2019, covering the same area as the London Congestion Charge, affecting all vehicles.[7]

Current and Approved zones

Current and Approved Zones
Zone	Main Locations	Highway Authorities	Vehicles	Date	Future plans
Brighton Low Emission Zone	Brighton	Brighton and Hove Council	Buses	2015
Glasgow Low Emission Zone	Glasgow	Glasgow Council	Buses	2018	All vehicles by 2022
London Low Emission Zone	London	Transport for London	Buses, HGVS, LGVS	2008
London Ultra Low Emission Zone	Central London	Transport for London	All vehicles	2019
Norwich Low Emission Zone	Norwich	Norfolk Council	Buses	2008

Proposed zones

Proposed Zones
Zone	Main Locations	Highway Authorities	Vehicles	Date	Website
Birmingham Clear Air Zone	Birmingham	Birmingham Council	All vehicles	2020	[8]
Leeds Clean Air Charging Zone	Leeds	Leeds Council	HGVs, buses and taxis/private hire	2020	[9]
Oxford Zero Emission Zone	Oxford	Oxfordshire Council	All vehicles - parking and loading	2020	[10]
Southampton Proposals	Southampton	Southampton Council	Buses, Coaches, Taxis and HGV		[11]
Tynside Low Emisssions Proposals	Newcastle upon Tyne • Gateshead	Gateshead Council • Newcastle upon Tyne Council • North Tyneside Council	Various proposals in consultation		[12]

Cancelled proposals

Proposed zones have been cancelled in Nottingham[13] and Derby.[14]