Is a pollution charging zone still necessary for Sheffield?

The plans would be linked with Rotherham’s, and would see a number of changes intorduced in a bid to reduce emissions which contribute to a number of health problems.

If the scheme goes ahead, the speed limit on the Rotherham section of the parkway would be reduced from the national speed limit to 50MPH.

HGVs would be restricted in certain areas, and buses would be rerouted.

Sheffield’s Clean Air Aone, around the ring road and inner ring road, would have seen LGVs and taxis charged £10 to enter the centre, in an attempt to cut down on dangerous emissions.

However, in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw car traffic decrease by 20 per cent, questions have been raised as to wether the scheme should go ahead.

Rotherham and Sheffield saw reductions in air pollution of up to 33 percent in January to August of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.

A report to Rotherham Council’s Improving Places Select Commission outlines a number of questions that are curently being reviewed, such as if a charging zone is still necessary for Sheffield, and if reductions in traffic and poluttion resulting from the pandemic will remain over the long term.

Rotherham Council is still working alongside Sheffield City Council and the government’s Joint Air Quality Unit to” progress a number of proposals as quickly as possible”, according to the report, which is set to be discussed at a meeting on February 2.

Sheffield council is now reconsidering the implications for their city centre in light of the pandemic, and last year, leader of Rotherham Council, Chris Read, told the local democracy reporting service that if Sheffield Council pulls the plug on the project, Rotherham Council could also lose funding for their side of the works.

The report adds that most of the propsals in Rotherham are “unlikelyto be impacted by Covid-19”, and are “highly likely to still be necessary forRotherham to reach compliance and would deliver genuine benefit to ourcommunities”.

“With that in mind RMBC are working with JAQU to identify a potential route to remove the financial risk to the Council of progressing the schemes prior to the Final Business Case being signed off, to allow Rotherham to begin delivery of our proposals as soon as possible.”