ClEaN aIR zONE laUNCHEd IN CITY bOOsT fOR bUsINEssEs

From Monday 27 February, Sheffield’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) has officially started.

The CAZ is a Class C charging zone, which means that some vehicles driving within, or entering Sheffield’s inner ring road and city centre, that do not meet vehicle emission limits set by the Government, will be charged. To learn more about the CAZ please visit the clean air website.

Who will be charged?

Only the most heavily polluting vehicles will be charged for entering Sheffield’s CAZ. Private vehicles, motorcycles and lowerpolluting vehicles will not have to pay.

Vehicles that will be charged include:

• Heavy goods vehicles (HGV)

• Light goods vehicles (LGV)

• Vans

• Buses

• Coaches

• Taxis

How do I check if my vehicle will be charged?

You need to check whether your vehicle will be charged, using the Government vehicle checker.

If the vehicle you own is compliant, then you do not need to do anything.

If your vehicle is not compliant, and you drive into, out of, or within the zone, then you need to pay each day you travel. Some motorhomes and campervans may be classified as a LGV or HGV, please check your vehicle.

How much will I need to pay?

Charges are:

• £50 per day for larger vehicles – such as buses, coaches and HGVs

• £10 per day for smaller vehicles – such as taxis and LGVs

• Larger campervans / motorhomes can apply for a discounted rate, reducing the charge amount to £10

How do I pay?

If you’re entering the zone you can pay up to 6 days in advance, on the day, or up to 6 days after your journey. For information and a simple and secure way to pay, head to the Government Clean Air Zone page.

Available financial support

Financial support to upgrade or replace a vehicle to meet CAZ standards is still available for vehicle owners based in Sheffield and Rotherham.

Apply for an exemption

Local exemptions and discounts are still available, see the exemptions page for information on how to apply.

If you or your business is based in Sheffield or Rotherham and runs an LGV, then you can apply now for a temporary exemption, which will expire at 00:00 on Monday 5 June 2023.

If you do not have an exemption you will need to pay the daily charge. An automatic, temporary exemption will be applied for Hackney Carriage vehicles licensed by us, up to 00:00 on Monday 5 June 2023.

You do not need to apply for an exemption if your vehicle is one of the following:

• Nationally exempt

• Meets required emission standards

• A private car or

Motorbike

How does the CAZ work?

Automatic number plate recognition cameras (ANPR) capture the number plates of vehicles driving into the zone. This data is then crossreferenced against DVLA’s database.

If you are driving a non-compliant vehicle, and you do not pay the charge within the timeframe set out, you will receive a Penalty Charge Notice in the post.

Why does Sheffield need a CAZ?

Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA) latest assessments show that Sheffield is not compliant with the annual limit for nitrogen dioxide (NO2). That’s why we urgently need to reduce NO2 levels around the city. Our CAZ will take us a step closer to cleaner air and higher standard of health for local people, especially those most vulnerable to pollution related health issues, such as the elderly, unborn babies and young children. Air pollution contributes to around 1 in 20 of deaths in Sheffield each year.

The city’s Clean Air Zone is part of a national Clean Air Strategy funded by DEFRA, to tackle air pollution, including roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations. To learn more about the CAZ please visit the clean air site.

Grants of up to £50,000 are available to businesses in Sheffield to transform under-used spaces on Fargate. The second round of funding, part of the ReNew Project, will support local businesses and organisations to revive empty shops and bring vibrancy to areas of the city centre that have struggled in recent years. The funding is available for prime locations on Fargate. Businesses from a wide range of customer facing industries are encouraged to apply, including food and beverage, retail, leisure, hospitality and arts and culture.

Fargate is at the centre of the Council’s plans to reimagine the city centre and will soon be home to Event Central, a year-round events and exhibition space, as well as transformational street renovations, including new pocket parks, seating areas and lighting. The improvements and ReNew grants are funded by the £15.8m Future High Streets Fund which the Council successfully bid for in 2021. As a result of the first round of ReNew project grants, Juno Books launched their brand new book shop on Chapel Walk. They used the funding to renovate the property ready for opening with new flooring, bespoke hand painted signage as well as creating a wheelchair access counter and securing the shop with internal shutters.