Rees accused of U-turn over low emissions zone

Labour have been accused of making their first U-turn under new mayor Marvin Rees, who has put the brakes on efforts to introduce a low emissions zone in Bristol city centre.

Before May’s election, the party had called on previous mayor George Ferguson to bring in a charge for vehicles with high emissions in a bid to reduce the estimated 200 deaths caused by air pollution per year in the city.

Rees also promised to “pilot a low emissions zone (LEZ) in Bristol city centre” in his election manifesto which pledged to improve air quality.

But the plans appear to have been halted, after the mayor said he would move to create a “clean air zone” instead which would include a raft of measures, but no charge on vehicles as it could not be enforced.

Bristol Green Party leader Charlie Bolton, who has been calling for an LEZ alongside the Lib Dems, said: “People are dying as a result of our illegal air quality. If Labour are backing down on their pre-election commitments, this would be totally unacceptable.”

In February this year the Greens and Lib Dems supported a council motion to put aside £50,000 for initial planning for an LEZ to be introduced in 2017.

But the plans were voted down by Labour who argued against the costs. In March, a further attempt to introduce an LEZ by 2020 were again amended by Labour councillors who removed the timescale, saying it was too slow. 

At the same meeting earlier this year, Labour called on Ferguson to introduce a pilot LEZ, a policy which later appeared in Rees’ manifesto, ‘Labour’s 2020 vision’.

But mayor Rees appeared to back down from his promise when asked at the last meeting of full council for timescales by Mark Wright, Lib Dem councillor for Hotwells & Harbourside.

Rees said Bristol is already reducing air pollution through the new MetroBus network, improved rail services upgrades to walking and cycling routes, and by switching council vehicles to electric.

He added: “Under current primary legislation there is no basis in law for Bristol to enforce a Low Emission Zone.

“Alternatives to Low Emission Zones under current legislation, such as traffic regulation conditions, are limited in scope and poor in terms of effectiveness.”

Wright called the response a “U-turn”. He told Bristol24/7: “It seems very strange that Bristol Labour jumped onto the LEZ bandwagon right before elections, criticised everyone else for being too slow and not getting on with it, then just two months after taking power jump right off the bandwagon again.”

London has had a low emissions zone since 2008. Last year, the Government announced plans to introduce clean air zones to five English cities by 2020, but this did not include Bristol.

Rees said clean air zones “offer the best chance for a legal basis on which to implement and operate a low emission zone”.

He added: “Once the national primary legislation is in place the council will be able to move towards making a decision on the nature of a clean air zone or similar.”

A spokesperson for the city council said: “We also want to ensure that a clean air zone will be effective and comprehensive, tackling a range of vehicle pollution sources, not just one type.

“The clean air zone is only part of the solution – we need investment in cleaner buses and taxis, and better public transport and cycling alternatives for private car drivers.  A clean air zone needs to be part of a package of transport measures, not an isolated policy.”

Read more: ‘Putting the party before the city’