As governments all over the world make plans to phase out the sale of new internal combustion engine (ICE) cars, many UK towns and cities have started to introduce Low Emission Zones (LEZ) to encourage cleaner driving and reduce pollution.
In the UK, sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans will be banned from 2035. And as we get ever closer to that deadline, many local authorities have already introduced traffic restrictions in the form of Clean Air (CAZ), Low or Ultra-Low Emission Zones (ULEZ). Find out more about the different rules already in place in different towns and cities below, plus those you should watch out for in future.
Where are the Low Emission Zones in the UK?
England
Bath
Bath launched its CAZ in March 2021. It largely affects business-use vehicles like taxis and HGVs, which means you shouldn’t have to pay a fee if you’re driving around in your own car.
Bradford
Launched in summer 2022, Bradford’s CAZ applies to HGVs, LGVs, buses, coaches and private hire vehicles, with costs ranging from £7-£50 a day. It doesn’t yet affect car drivers or motorcyclists.
Bristol
Bristol’s CAZ came into force in November 2022. As with London’s ULEZ, it affects pre-Euro 4 petrol cars and pre-Euro 6 diesels, which have to pay £9 to enter the zone. Non-compliant taxis and light vans face the same charge, while HGVs and buses pay £100.
Birmingham
As Britain’s second most populous city, Birmingham launched its Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in June 2021 in response to huge commuter numbers entering the city each day. The following standards must be met for vehicles passing through:
- Diesel, minimum Euro 6
- Petrol, minimum Euro 4
- Zero-emissions vehicles such as all-electric and hydrogen.
- Low-emission hybrids meeting diesel Euro 6 and petrol Euro 4 standard.
There is an £8 charge for private cars and taxis, and a £50 levy for buses, coaches and HGVs that are not up to recognised emissions standards.
London
The UK capital’s eight million residents were already familiar with the Congestion Charge policy put in place back in 2003, but in April 2019, Transport for London went even further by introducing an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) for Central London. This was expanded on 29th August 2023 to cover almost all areas inside the M25. You can find out the boundaries here.
Vehicles that do not meet the ULEZ requirements are required to pay a charge, with a £12.50-per-day charge for motorists using motorbikes, cars, private taxis, small and large vans, and minibuses that don’t meet petrol Euro 4 and diesel Euro 6 standards. However, specialist heavy vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, and buses, minibuses and coaches weighing over 5 tonnes do not need to pay the ULEZ charge. They are now required to pay the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) charge instead. This is a separate scheme for heavy vehicles that operates in a similar way to ULEZ but already covers most of Greater London. LEZ charges range from £100 to £300 per day for non-compliant vehicles, depending on the vehicle age.
Newcastle
Newcastle City Council introduced its CAZ in October 2022 and began to charge drivers on 30th January 2023. This charge only applies to older taxis, vans, buses, coaches and HGVs – private cars are not yet affected. Non-compliant lorries, buses and coaches entering the CAZ will be hit with a £50-a-day toll, while the worst polluting vans and taxis will be charged £12.50 per day.
Portsmouth
If you drive a car, motorcycle or van in Portsmouth, then you’re not affected by any emission-based restrictions. Launched in November 2021, the CAZ applies to non-compliant buses, coaches, taxis, PHVs and HGVs.
Sheffield
After plans were put on the back burner due to COVID-19, Sheffield’s CAZ went into effect February 2023. It only affects the most polluting HGVs, LGVs, vans, buses, coaches and taxis that drive in the city centre, with LGVs and taxis paying £10 a day, and coaches, buses and HGVs subject to a £50 fee. Private cars and motorbikes are not charged.
Scotland
As of 1st June 2023, Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone was introduced. The first to come into force in Scotland, it followed the initial, bus-only phase of the scheme which started in 2018. Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week The zone covers an area of the city centre bounded by the M8 motorway to the north and west, the River Clyde to the south and Saltmarket/High Street to the east. The motorway itself however is not included.
A vehicle can only drive within a LEZ if it meets the specified emission standards, which are Euro 4 for petrol cars and vans, Euro 6 for diesel cars and vans, and Euro VI for buses, coaches and HGVs. the initial penalty charge for all non-compliant vehicles entering a LEZ in Scotland is £60.
Motorcycles and mopeds are not included in the current LEZ schemes and no restrictions will apply. There are some other exemptions, such as for blue badge holders, and zone residents have an extra year to prepare.
In fact, Low Emission Zones (LEZs) were introduced on 31st May 2022 in Scotland’s four biggest cities (Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow). Local grace periods now apply until enforcement begins.
- Dundee will start enforcement on 30th May 2024.
- Aberdeen will start enforcement on 1st June 2024.
- Edinburgh will start enforcement on 1st June 2024.
Are there plans for more in the future?
Liverpool
After much discussion, plans to introduce a CAZ in Liverpool were eventually rejected due to fears it would be too expensive for drivers. Councillors said the scheme wouldn’t be as effective as first thought and have instead formulated a Clean Air Plan, which includes plans to stop traffic queuing with traffic lights, reviewing bus stop locations and more.
Manchester
A proposal was made for a CAZ across Greater Manchester, and this was planned to be introduced in May 2022. However, due to fears about the cost-of-living crisis and other factors, this plan was rejected with the local authority re-examining it in 2023. The Clean Air Plan was then further delayed after the government advised that bus retrofit data may not be reliable. In the meantime, Greater Manchester has been directed to meet legal limits for nitrogen dioxide on local roads “in the shortest possible time” and by 2026 at the latest.
The investment-led Clean Air Plan currently does not include a charging Clean Air Zone.
For a comprehensive list of inner-city zones across the UK and Europe, the EU’s Urban Access Regulations section has an interactive map where you can check dozens of European cities’ lower-emission requirements.
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Photo Credit: Euan Cameron vis Unsplash.com
