Bath Clean Air Zone

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Bath Clean Air Zone: a simple guide

Bath Clean Air Zone is a part of central Bath, England, where heavy-polluting traffic is restricted to improve air quality. It started on 15 March 2021 and was the second Clean Air Zone in the UK after London.

How it works
- It is a Class-C Clean Air Zone. Only higher-emission commercial vehicles (like some taxis, vans, buses, minibuses and other commercial vehicles) pay to enter.
- Private cars and motorcycles are exempt, even if they are older and polluting. Electric, hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles are also exempt.
- Cameras check number plates 24/7 to enforce the rules.

Charges
- Fees for non-exempt vehicles range from £9 to £100 per day, depending on vehicle type.

Where it applies
- The zone covers Bath’s historic centre and parts of Walcot, Bathwick, Widcombe, Beechen Cliff, Kingsmead, and the whole Royal Victoria Park and Botanical Gardens.

Why it exists
- Bath has long faced air pollution from traffic. The zone aims to reduce nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the city and protect a World Heritage site with many old buildings and narrow streets.

What people saw and did
- Since opening, NO2 levels in Bath have fallen. In 2021, NO2 on many street sites dropped by about 22%.
- In 2023 the zone reached a government milestone showing NO2 levels had fallen to and stayed within guideline levels.

Fines and money
- From March 2021 to December 2023, more than 174,000 fines were issued for driving non-exempt vehicles into the zone, totaling about £7.1 million.
- Fines are reinvested to fund further air-quality and transport improvements.
- In the first 100 days, around 28,000 motorists were fined.

Impact on traffic and business
- Some people argue the scheme pushes traffic into other parts of Bath and nearby towns, and could affect tourism.
- There were reports of increased heavy-vehicle traffic in nearby Wiltshire towns after the zone opened and during road works.

Support and help for vehicle owners
- The council offered grants to help replace polluting vehicles:
- Up to £4,500 for taxis and vans.
- Up to £35,000 for buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles.
- By 2023, these funds helped more than 1,500 people replace 938 polluting vehicles. The scheme also provided about £9.4 million in financial support.

Key points in history
- The plan was first proposed earlier, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the launch.
- Bath’s scheme followed the first UK Clean Air Zone outside London and has been closely watched as a model for other cities.

Overall
- The Bath Clean Air Zone is designed to cut pollution from traffic by targeting dirtier, larger vehicles while sparing private drivers.
- It has led to measurable improvements in air quality and uses fines to fund further improvements, though it has also sparked debate about traffic flow and local businesses.