Could Birmingham's clean air zone lead to more pollution in the Black Country?
The controversial ‘clean air zone’ in Birmingham could lead to a drastic increase in pollution in the Black Country, council leaders have said.
The Second City is considering bringing in a low emissions zone covering the area inside the city centre ring road in a bid to meet Government proscribed levels of pollution.
It means some motorists could be charged up to £100 for driving in the city – a move bosses hope will keep high pollution vehicles such as lorries out of the area.
But the move has prompted concerns among council leaders in the Black Country, who fear the charge could mean more pollution in Walsall, Sandwell, Dudley and Wolverhampton.
They have written to Birmingham Council over the issue.
Roger Lawrence, the Labour leader of Wolverhampton Council and West Midlands Combined Authority transport lead, said: "We have serious concerns over how traffic that is diverted out of Birmingham city centre will be managed.
"What we don't want to see is a situation where buses and lorries that are diverted away from the clean air zone end up in the Black Country, worsening our air quality as a result."
Birmingham Council say the authority is under ministerial direction to establish a clean air zone (CAZ) by 2020.
The Labour-run council has voted to submit a business case to the Government, although the scheme has met with widespread public opposition in the city.
All local authorities are under orders to clamp down on pollution, which is a major cause of early deaths through lung infections. In the Black Country Sandwell and Walsall in particular have suffered from poor air quality due to their close proximity to the M6.
Walsall Council's Tory leader Mike Bird said: "If they do manage to stop the buses and have cleaner air in Birmingham, they will only chug through the surrounding areas.
"Already we are suffering from poor air quality caused by cars on the M6 and this will only aggravate the situation. Obviously this is not acceptable.
"Despite the objections from the public throughout the consultation period, common sense has not prevailed and they are still going ahead with it.
"The situation is dire.The idea is commendable but not very well thought through."
A consultation over the CAZ in Birmingham received more than 10,000 responses, and warned that Birmingham could become a 'ghost town' with businesses and shoppers abandoning the city.
