Police cars, ambulances and fire engines will be charged to enter Bath’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) from next month. A four-year exemption for emergency service vehicles and those used by voluntary groups in support of them, in place since the scheme launched in 2021, ends on March 14.
Bath & North East Somerset Council leaders insist it will affect only a limited number of vehicles because 999 organisations have had such a long time to plan for them and make changes to their fleet. But a report to Avon Fire Authority committee, which meets on Friday, February 14, said more than half of the service’s vehicles were still not CAZ-compliant and it would take another six years for them all to be.
Private cars and motorbikes are not charged to enter the zone, no matter how polluting they are, although higher emission taxis and private hire cars are. The fire authority report asks councillors to approve a three-year capital budget, including £4.8million investment in its fleet.
It said: “New technology vehicles (electric and hydrogen) are roughly 100 per cent more expensive than the cost of the equivalent internal combustion vehicles, across both the car and commercial vehicle market. The level of CAZ-compliant vehicles within the station-based appliance fleet is currently 40 per cent because of the fleet replacement programme.
“The proposed capital investment in further vehicle procurement and the continual introduction of lower or zero emission vehicles within our CAZs will achieve 48 per cent Clean Air Zone compliance across the appliance fleet by March 2026. A further 24 specialist operational vehicles are currently 21 per cent CAZ-compliant.
“The life cycle and appliance replacement programme for the turntable ladders, as an example, will not achieve clean-air compliant emissions until 2030. Current expectation is the fleet will be CAZ-compliant by 2031.”
B&NES Council deputy leader and cabinet member for climate emergency and sustainable travel Cllr Sarah Warren (Lib Dem, Bathavon North) said: “Since 2019, Bath & North East Somerset Council has worked closely alongside emergency service providers to support them in reducing the impact of the introduction of a Clean Air Zone in Bath, including a four-year exemption from charges across whole fleets. This exemption has allowed emergency service organisations four additional years to consider the steps that could be taken to prepare for the end of the exemption, including vehicle upgrade, retrofit and fleet redistribution, and we are supportive of the changes that have been made to date.
“All parties have been aware from the start that this exemption was due to end in March 2025 and our dialogue with the emergency services to date indicates that, because of the progress made in the last four years, a limited number of vehicles will be impacted by this local exemption ending. We are continuing our conversations regarding these vehicles.
“The council was directed by government to introduce a category C CAZ with traffic management in Queen Square following significant modelling, consultation and engagement. This was selected to achieve compliance in the shortest possible time whilst reducing the negative financial impact on low-income households, rural communities and residents living within the CAZ.”
An Avon Fire & Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We are currently in negotiations with Bath & North East Somerset Council.” The organisation serves B&NES, Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.
An Avon & Somerset Police spokesperson said: “We have been working closely with Bath & North East Somerset Council since the announcement of a Clean Air Zone in the city. This collaboration was a factor that informed our vehicle replacement plan.
“As a result, our fleet team has put cleaner and more efficient vehicles on the road. Our fleet now includes more than 200 hybrid and electric vehicles operating within local communities.
“In December 2024, Avon & Somerset Police won the Public Sector Car Fleet of the Year at the Green Fleet Awards. This accolade recognised our progress towards a zero-emission police fleet.
“The CAZ focuses on vans and larger HGVs falling below the Euro 6 emission standard. Vans and HGVs only make up less than a quarter of our fleet, of which approximately 75 per cent are Euro 6 compliant and can therefore continue to access Bath with no impact.
“This leaves 66 vehicles that would be subject to charge. Of these, half are due to be replaced imminently. For the remainder, we are confident that, by working with the council, we can mitigate any significant cost impact by sending alternate, compliant vehicles into the city whenever possible.
“Only one non-compliant vehicle remains stationed in Bath, and its replacement will be on the road before the exemption ends. We therefore believe the impact of the CAZ exemption to in Bath will therefore be limited for our fleet.”
A Bristol City Council spokesperson said it had no plans to change the current exemption for emergency services in its city centre CAZ. South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust have been asked to comment.
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