A team from Stoke-on-Trent City Council is working on a plan to stop a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) being implemented in the city.
Council leader Jane Ashworth described the CAZ, which was proposed by the previous administration, as a ‘sledgehammer to crack a nut’.
She argued it would have a negative impact on the economy. She also claimed pollution would naturally decrease as car owners buy newer car models.
‘We are now making the case clear to the government that a CAZ would be a “sledgehammer to crack a nut” and I’m glad to say that they are allowing us to submit a revised plan under which a CAZ would not be needed,’ she said.
Cllr Amjid Wazir, cabinet member for city pride, enforcement, and sustainability, said: ‘Our new plan proposes better junctions to allow traffic to flow more smoothly and work to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists. We also hope to offer grants to support taxi drivers to upgrade their vehicles to ones that are less polluting.
‘The details of each part of this package aren’t finalised yet and are dependent on us making the business case, but I'm really pleased that the Government is open to hear how we can use other methods to continue to improve air quality in our city.’
If this article was of interest, then check out our features, 'Now I am become Uxbridge, destroyer of rational climate discourse' and 'Home County drivers face taxation without representation'.
