Clean Air Zone Sheffield: Mayor's 'polluting' diesel Jaguar car 'would fall foul of own limit' for charging

Sheffield City Council has a diesel Jaguar XJ Sovereign which the mayor can use when carrying out official duties. The bike-maker Brompton said research carried out in partnership with climate action charity Possible showed that were personal cars charged to enter Sheffield’s new Clean Air Zone (CAZ), this vehicle would exceed the emissions limit as it spews out at least 184g of CO2 per kilometre. It noted that the council also has a less polluting hybrid Lexus GH450 H mayoral car.

Since Sheffield’s CAZ came into effect on February 27 this year, drivers of buses, coaches and HGVs failing to meet the emission limits must pay £50 a day to enter the zone, within the city’s inner ring road, with drivers of smaller vehicles like taxis and LGVs paying £10. Private cars and motorbikes are exempt. The Star revealed in May how the scheme had generated £210,000 in fees and charges during the first month.

Brompton said Sheffield City Council was not the only culprit when it came to polluting mayoral vehicles. Glasgow City Council’s Volkswagen Phaeton luxury saloon emits more than 224g CO2/km – enough for it to be banned from the city’s own low emission zone – the study found.

Brompton also called out the London Borough of Hillingdon, the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, and Knowsley Council for having highly-polluting mayoral cars. It should be pointed out that the mayoral cars belong to the councils and not to the mayors in question.

Brompton has offered Sheffield City Council and nine other local authorities the chance to swap their polluting mayoral vehicles for an electric Brompton bike to help them set a better example.

Brompton’s CEO, Will Butler-Adams, said: “At every level we should be making a joint effort to reduce air pollution and congestion, and that goes for local authorities and those in positions of leadership. We want to work with mayors across the country, helping them (where possible) to set an example and ditch their polluting cars in favour of a sustainable mode of transport.”

The Star has contacted Sheffield Council to ask whether it plans to take up the offer. It has yet to respond.