October 2020 newsletter
Published: 8th Oct 2020
Welcome to the October 2020 edition of the Brum Breathes newsletter
Clean Air Zone… coming June 2021!
We can now confirm that Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone will launch on 1 June 2021. From this date the owners of the most polluting vehicles will need to pay a daily charge to drive into the Clean Air Zone, which accounts for around 25 percent of the vehicles on Birmingham’s roads. To find out if you will need to pay the daily charge visit the online vehicle checker today.
Will I need to pay the daily charge?
Temporary exemption permits - apply now
If you do need to pay the daily charge you may be eligible for a temporary exemption permit.
If you live in the Clean Air Zone you could be eligible for an exemption permit of up to two years from the launch of the Clean Air Zone
Or if you work in the Clean Air Zone and earn less than £30,000 p.a. you could be eligible for an exemption permit of up to one year from the launch of the Clean Air Zone.
Other exemptions are available; go online to find out if you’re eligible and whether the exemption is automatic or needs to be applied for.
Read about our other exemptions
Birmingham-licensed hackney carriage and private hire vehicles
Find out more about the grants available to support Birmingham-licensed hackney carriage and private hire vehicles. Options include support towards the cost of a ‘retrofit’ solution to an existing vehicle, contributions towards the operating costs of an Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle and a contribution to the cost of leasing or purchase of an electric vehicle. Applications and expressions of interest to these schemes are open from today.
Commercial vehicle exemptions - apply today
Businesses with commercial vehicles registered to, or kept at an address within the Clean Air Zone that will be charged or businesses within the zone who have finance agreements which extend beyond June 2021, could be eligible for a temporary 12-month vehicle exemption.
Is your business eligible for an exemption?
Heavy Duty Vehicle Fund now open
Find out more about the grants available to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) based in the West Midlands. The options available include contributions towards the lease or purchase of a vehicle or vehicles that meet the emission standard for the Clean Air Zone. Full details for this scheme, including eligibility criteria, are available on the website.
Read more about the Heavy Duty Vehicle Fund
Other ways to make a difference
If you don’t need to pay the daily charge you can still help improve the air we all breathe. Over 25 percent of all car trips in Birmingham are less than one mile so think about whether you can walk, cycle or use public transport more often.