Bath’s Clean Air Zone comes into force from spring 2021 and support is already in place to assist local businesses upgrade or replace polluting vehicles in advance of the move to the new scheme.
Financial Assistance Scheme
To help with the transition to a Clean Air Zone, Bath and North East Somerset Council has partnered with Maxxia to provide financial assistance for limited companies or charities to replace existing non-compliant vehicles with a new equivalent that meets the emission standards.
Subject to meeting the eligibility criteria, organisations can receive a grant towards the new vehicle and benefit from interest-free financing on a hire purchase agreement through Maxxia. More information on the finance scheme is available here.
Bath’s class C zone is the first of several clean air zones planned in England to urgently tackle air pollution. It will operate in the city centre 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and will charge most higher emission vehicles to drive in the zone, except private cars and motorbikes.
To ease the transition, a government-funded financial aid package has been launched which includes grants and/or interest free finance to significantly reduce the cost of a replacement vehicle and avoid the zone charges which could be up to £100 a day.
Attractive Support for Replacement Vehicle Funding
Eligible applicants could receive a grant of up to £4,500 to upgrade taxis, PHVs and vans; £20,000 for heavy goods vehicles; and £35,000 for buses and coaches. On top of this, the financing which helps to spread the cost, is interest-free.
Qualifying Vehicles
Vehicles that qualify for the scheme include pre-euro 6 diesel and pre-euro 4 petrol taxis, PHVs, minibuses, vans, buses, coaches and HGVs that drive in the city centre at least twice a week.
Priority will be given to applicants located in Bath and North East Somerset and surrounding authorities.
How to Apply
In the first instance, the council is asking anyone who drives in central Bath to check whether their vehicle will be charged in the zone using the GOV.UK vehicle checker.
If the vehicle is subject to charges, those who drive regularly in the zone should visit www.bathnes.gov.uk/CAZsupport to check the terms of the financial scheme and obtain an eligibility letter.
Once evidence of eligibility has been received, you can obtain a quote or start your application for grant supported and interest-free financing with Maxxia here.
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