Birmingham City Council Paid £472,000 in Clean Air Zone Charges for Its Own Fleet

Birmingham City Council has paid £472,253 to itself in daily charges and fines since its Clean Air Zone began operating in 2021. The payments cover 3,262 instances in which council vehicles entered the zone without meeting its emissions standards. One in eight vehicles in the council's fleet, or 142 out of 1,170 as of 31 March, remain non-compliant.

Most of the vehicles incurring charges belong to the waste department, which has been affected by a year-long bin strike.

The council stated it has been replacing non-compliant vehicles over the past 12 months. It has also created a central Vehicle Management Service to monitor throttle usage, speed, mileage and idling across the fleet. A council spokesperson said only minibuses used for social services and education make up a large share of the remaining non-compliant vehicles.

The council added that it is developing an "eco driving" programme to reduce fuel use and emissions.

Money collected from charges and fines is used for Clean Air Zone operating costs and government charges. Any surplus must be spent on transport or environmental schemes and cannot return to the council's general funds. Kings Heath Food Bank said its volunteer drivers have faced difficulties meeting the £8 daily charge for non-compliant cars.

Organisers reported that the number of people the food bank assists each week has fallen by half since the zone was introduced, partly because fewer volunteers can afford the charges. A request to exempt food bank volunteers from the charges was refused.

Volunteer driver Pete Hammond received £800 in fines that were later cancelled after he supplied manufacturer documentation confirming his vehicle met the standards.