Date set for Clean Air Zone full business case submission in Sheffield and Rotherham

The business case, which was originally due in February 2020 was delayed due to the pandemic, which saw a drop in air pollution across Rotherham and Sheffield of 33 per cent.

Further work was required to understand the impact of the pandemic on air quality, and Rotherham’s plans were given the go-ahead in February 2021, whilst Sheffield’s plans were approved in October.

In Rotherham, the scheme will mean the speed limit on the Parkway would be reduced from the national speed limit to 50MPH, HGVs would be restricted in certain areas, and buses would be rerouted.

In Sheffield, a Category C Clean Air Zone is proposed, charging the most polluting diesel coaches, lorries, vans and buses to enter the city centre.

From next year, taxis and LGVs that do not meet the emission standard will be charged £10 a day and coaches, buses and HGVs will be charged £50 a day to drive in a zone that will cover the inner ring road and city centre.

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A report, set to be approved by Rotherham’s Cabinet on February 14, states that Sheffield and Rotherham’s joint Clean Air Zone business case is to be submitted to the government by March 31.

RMBC has already started work on three schemes – the new 50mph speed limit for the Parkway, the prohibition of HGVs on Wortley Road and the junction improvement at Rawmarsh Hill and Bellows Road, as standalone projects.

The Parkway widening scheme is due to be complete by November.

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Rotherham Council received capital grant funding of £2.885m from the Government’s Clean Air Zone Implementation Fund for the projects, and now must submit and agree the business case to prevent the money from being ‘clawed back’ by the government.

What will the Clean Air Zone mean for Rotherham?

The actions proposed are:

Reduction of speed limit to 50 mph on the Rotherham section of the Parkway, associated with proposals to widen the Parkway Improvements to the Rotherham bus fleet Proposal to divert some buses from the A633 Rawmarsh Hill to Barbers Avenue with improvements to Dale Road and Barbers Avenue to support this measure Proposals to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion on the A630 Fitzwilliam Road Restrictions on HGVs on the northbound carriageway of the A629 Wortley Road/Upper Wortley Road, to prevent large polluting vehicles from using this as a route to access the M1.

What will the Clean Air Zone mean for Sheffield?

In the proposed clean air zone, which covers the city centre inside the A61 ring road , private vehicles will not be charged, but charges apply to vehicles that do not meet these minimum standards: hackney carriages and private hire vehicles which are Euro 6 Diesel or Euro 4 Petrol light goods vehicles (LGVS) such as vans, campervans and pickup trucks and minibuses which are Euro 6 Diesel or Euro 4 Petrol buses and coaches which are Euro 6 Diesel heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) which are Euro 6 Diesel