CONTENTIOUS plans to introduce a Clean Air Zone in Bradford later this year will be questioned once again at a Council meeting.

A motion put forward by Conservative Councillor Sally Birch (Bingley Rural) will call for the Clean Air Zone to be "paused," and for the Council to consider implementing a CAZ where drivers are not charged for having polluting vehicles.

The motion comes shortly after Councillors on a health committee raised concerns that some people were willing to overlook concerns about the health impacts of air pollution because the solution "might hit them in the pocket."

A ministerial order to the Council issued by Government in 2018 called for the authority to reduce Bradford’s illegal levels of harmful air pollution by the end of 2022. A Clean Air Zone was deemed the fastest way to achieve this.

Originally due to be introduced in January but since been put back to "Spring 2022," the zone would see the most polluting HGVs, vans, buses and taxis charged to enter the zone - which takes in the city, parts of Shipley and the corridor between the two areas.

Private vehicles would be exempt.

Millions in funding has been handed to businesses to upgrade their vehicles to compliant engines, although some businesses say the grants on offer will not cover the full costs of converting.

A motion by Cllr Birch going before the full Council meeting on Tuesday afternoon urges the Council to "pause plans for Bradford’s Clean Air Zone while it is thoroughly reviewed, considering the potential negative impact on drivers using other roads to avoid being charged for driving through the zone and the possible loss of trade for businesses located within the zone.

"Also to consider moving to a ‘non-charging Clean Air Zone’ instead whilst continuing to work with businesses who wish to upgrade their vehicles and take advantage of the incentives offered."

A similar motion was put forward by the Conservative Group at a full Council meeting last Summer. Proposing that motion, Cllr Debbie Davies (Baildon) said traffic levels in the city were unlikely to rise to pre pandemic levels.

That motion was defeated, with Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe pointing out that the Government had ordered the Council to introduce the zone.

Calls to scrap planned Clean Air charges in Bradford are defeated

The issue of the Clean Air Zone was recently raised at a meeting of the Council's Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee.

Members were given a presentation on the Born in Bradford project - a groundbreaking health study that looked at the lives and health of thousands of Bradford children.

Among its many findings were that poor air quality in the District had lead to poor health in many of Bradford children.

The study will be used to gauge the success of the Clean Air Zone on children's health once it is implemented.

Councillor Paul Godwin (Lab, Keighley West) has worked in the pathology department of Airedale Hospital. He pointed out that opposition to the Clean Air Zone seemed to be driven more by money than by concern for people's health.

He said: "To me it is bizarre that people acknowledge pollution is a danger to society, but say 'oh, but it (Clean Air Zone) will be expensive, maybe we shouldn't do it."

He pointed out that some Councillors, including at least one on the committee, had spoke out against the planned Clean Air Zone. He added: "People seem to say 'there is a danger this will hit me in the pocket, so let's not bother about the children.' "The real concern to us should be the long term impact on disadvantaged children."

Josie Dickerson from Born in Bradford said: "We do know that the air quality in Bradford has had an impact on children's health. There are areas with really high levels of asthma."

When defending the Clean Air Zone, Bradford Council has often referred to the fact that it had been ordered to implement the policy by Government. However, Councillor Ralph Berry (Lab, Wibsey) suggested that the Council should instead point out that it was morally the right thing to do, rather than being something Bradford had been strong armed into introducing.

He added: " It is easy for us to say we are doing this because the courts and Government have ordered us to. But I'd prefer that we be doing this because in all my years as a Councillor I've seen the impact poor air quality has on the health of all age groups.

"In this city some of the worst environments to raise children happen to be the areas that have the highest number of children being raised in them."