Burnham declines to charge

Manchester mayor says councils will not impose any government fees

Burnham refuses to charge for CAZ

By Carol Millett

If the government demands Greater Manchester has a charging clean air zone (CAZ) then the government will have to impose it as Greater Manchester councils will refuse to do so, Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has warned.

A charging CAZ is a “red line” that Greater Manchester Councils will not cross, the mayor said, particularly in a post-pandemic economy and in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.

Manchester’s CAZ was due to launch on 30 May, but plans were put on hold in February over

Photo: Shutterstock

concerns that hauliers and other businesses would struggle to invest in cleaner vehicles, and that the scheme would hit supply chains and the cost and availability of second-hand vehicles. As a result it was delayed until July.

The original plan would have seen non-compliant buses and lorries charged £60 per day to use the region’s roads, while vans and minibuses would have been charged £10 a day and taxi drivers hit with £7.50 a day.

Burnham said this model, which had been mandated by the government, was no longer acceptable and the city region would instead launch a non-charging zone, along with incentives to encourage drivers of older and more polluting vehicles to switch to cleaner models.

GMB rejects ‘real-terms pay cut’ from Asda

Asda said it had made an improved offer for staff as part of an ongoing dispute over pay, but that it had been rejected by the union without drivers getting a chance to vote on it.

The supermarket giant responded after the GMB union said a consultative ballot of 8,000 workers showed 95% were in favour of pursuing industrial action over what it claimed was a “real-terms pay cut”.

Asda said it had offered to pay transport workers up to £16.25 an hour and warehouse workers up to £13.89 an hour.

The GMB claimed the supermarket was attempting to force through a pay deal that would see workers lose sick pay entitlement.

Nadine Houghton, GMB national officer, said: “This ballot result shows how angry Asda workers are. They’re being asked to swallow a real-terms pay cut while Asda’s top brass give themselves a hefty pay rise.

“There’s no way these key workers should be forced into self-funding their own pay rise via cuts to their sick pay.

“We will now meet with members to discuss next steps.”

Logistics hub boasts rooftop solar array

Logistics park developer Prologis has completed what it says is the UK’s first logistics property to go beyond net zero carbon in its construction and operation and generate more clean electricity than it consumes.

Located on Prologis Apex Park near Daventry, the 435,000sq ft unit will be a UK logistics centre for an American multinational.

The developer claimed the new site was a “first for the world of industrial logistics property”.

In addition to the standard measures provided by Prologis, including rainwater harvesting and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, a 1.4MW rooftop solar array has been installed, enabling the building to put more energy into the grid than it uses and cutting carbon emissions by over 100 tonnes a year.

The new unit is BREEAM rated ‘Outstanding’ - placing it in the top 1% of UK non-domestic buildings. It is also the first development of its type to achieve an EPC rating of A+. ■ Invesco Real Estate and

Barwood Capital have teamed up to build a £300m portfolio of up to eight urban/last-mile industrial and logistics warehouses across the UK. The partnership has already acquired its first two sites, including a 4-acre plot adjacent to Manchester’s Trafford Retail Park and a 5.25-acre site in Coventry.

Yodel moves to HVO for shunters Wren revises plans for new DC

Parcel carrier Yodel is partnering with Certas Energy to replace diesel with HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) for the shunter fleets at its Shaw, Wednesbury and Hatfield sorting centres.

The switch is part of plans for a broader rollout across its fleet in the future.

Yodel said the drop-in replacement for diesel would allow the company to quickly cut its carbon emissions.

Jamie Hodges, Certas Energy head of business development, added: “As an alternative to diesel, HVO is becoming a popular transition fuel for businesses operating commercial fleets and looking to reduce their carbon footprint responsibly and efficiently.”

Last year, Yodel completed its transition to 100% renewable electricity across its operational sites. ■ Yodel has saved an average of

20 minutes a day on its drivers’ routes using mapping software from Trimble Maps, it has revealed. The company saw delivery volumes rise by almost 35% in 2021.

Wren Kitchens has submitted revised plans for a distribution centre at Great Hallingbury, close to junction 8 of the M11, after the original scheme was turned down last year.

The proposed development would replace Wren’s current site at Stansted Airport, where the lease is due to expire next year.

The revised scheme has been returned to the table after its original plan was turned down by Uttlesford District Council last year. The application allows for parking for 80 lorries and 107 cars over 4 acres. However, residents have pledged to oppose the new plans.

The April 28 deadline for comments has been extended to June 10.