Bradford Council has published new data showing a significant improvement in air quality following the introduction of a Clean Air Zone.

Bradford’s ‘Class C’ CAZ scheme launched on 22 September 2022

The ‘Class C’ scheme was launched on 22 September 2022 following a government directive and introduced charges for non-compliant vans, minibuses, coaches and HGVs but not passenger cars and motorbikes.

Latest monthly data from automatic monitoring sites in the Clean Air Zone now shows some of the lowest levels of NO2 recorded since records began in Bradford – and that’s despite traffic now returning to pre-pandemic levels.

Additional data from the sites also shows that concentrations of NO2 have remained stable at monitoring stations outside the CAZ and continue to be well within the legal limits set by the Government.

The city was identified by the UK government as exceeding air pollution levels at several locations, many in inner-city areas.

Supported by government funding, the council has distributed grants worth over £20m to residents and businesses to enable vehicle upgrades.

Areas where pollution has fallen include Market Street in the city centre – it’s now showing NO2 levels reduced from 45 in 2021 to 39 (below the legal limit of 40) in 2022. The reduction is being attributed to early upgrades of buses and taxis.

Latest data shows some of the lowest levels of NO2 recorded since records began in Bradford

There are around seven million vehicle journeys into the CAZ every month – but thanks to the upgrades, the non-compliant vehicle journey rate has dropped from 3.6% of all journeys in summer 2022 to 1.5% at the end of July 2023.

Compliant vans have increased from 50% to 70% while larger vehicles such as articulated lorries have increased from around 80% compliant to 97%.

The Bradford taxi fleet is 99% compliant and now mainly comprised of hybrid electric vehicles.

The council is using revenues from the Clean Air Zone solely for projects to further improve air quality in the district – in line with government stipulations. The first major project is the Clean Air Schools Programme to support schools in reducing traffic emissions.

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of Bradford Council, said: “We all have a moral, environmental, and legal responsibility to make Bradford’s air cleaner and improve the health of our residents and visitors.

“We want to thank businesses and transport partners who were using the grants available to upgrade vehicles in advance of the launch of the CAZ. It’s good to see these measures translating into improvements in air quality.”

Grants are also still available to Bradford businesses and residents who wish to upgrade non-compliant vehicles along with specific grants to assist taxi drivers to switch to electric vehicles. Details are here.