politics
Manchester Clean-Air Plan Abandoned After £100 Million Spent
Greater Manchester spent £100 million on cameras, signs and other infrastructure for a planned clean-air zone that was later cancelled. Officials later adopted an alternative £80 million investment plan to meet air-quality targets.
May 17, 8:12 AM·1m read1 source
bbc.co.ukAudio version
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Greater Manchester spent £100 million on a clean-air zone that was never introduced. The project included 462 cameras with automatic number-plate recognition technology and 1,300 signs installed along roads in the region. 50 per day. Questions about affordability for drivers led to the plan being scrapped in December 2023.
An £80 million investment-led approach replaced the charging zone. The new plan funds electric buses and vehicle upgrades to meet legal air-pollution limits. A Greater Manchester clean-air spokesman said infrastructure from the original plan is now being used to tackle crime, with the cameras transferred to Greater Manchester Police for permanent use.
She said the money could have been spent differently and that the decision would affect support in the Makerfield constituency. Andy Burnham said he would "dispute completely" claims that the funds had been wasted. Greater Manchester is now on track to reach its legal clean-air targets by the end of 2026, according to the spokesman.
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