Bin lorries to be replaced before Bristol’s Clean Air Zone starts

Bin lorries that would be too polluting for a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) are going to be replaced before it comes into force.

But Bristol Waste bosses seriously considered keeping them and paying £100 a day for each to enter a CAZ, expected to be a small area in the city centre, before abandoning the idea after concluding it would make the city council-owned company look bad, documents reveal.

They also calculated it would turn out more expensive anyway to retain the non-compliant vehicles than get rid of them.

However, a request by the firm for a £1.7m loan from Bristol City Council to pay for it looks set to be rejected.

The local authority has declared climate and ecological emergencies with a pledge to make Bristol carbon neutral by 2030, while the Government has ordered it to find the fastest way to get air pollution to within legal limits.

Mayor Marvin Rees announced earlier this month that this meant drivers of older, polluting commercial vehicles and private cars with higher emissions were set to be charged to enter a boot-shaped area in the city centre known as a “small CAZ D”.

A strategic case by Bristol Waste Company (BWC) to replace its remaining 23 vehicles, from its fleet of more than 180, that would face CAZ charges was due to be approved by the council’s cabinet on Tuesday, January 26.

The proposed “small CAZ D” zone in the city centre. Image: Bristol City Council

It was withdrawn at the last minute along with Goram Homes’ business plan amid concerns about an increased risk to the authority’s house-building company, although they are expected to come back to cabinet for consideration next month at the same meeting the CAZ proposals will be agreed and sent to the Government.

The strategic case, which has since been removed from the council’s website, said: “Having renewed the majority of the BWC fleet through the £12m loan secured with Bristol City Council, BWC originally intended to run the remainder of the fleet for another 18 to 24 months to maximise the asset life and financial benefits associated.

“However, the pending introduction of the Bristol CAZ has now brought forward the need for BWC to replace these vehicles before June 2021 to ensure compliance with the new regulations and avoid potential daily charges for entering the zone.

“BWC investigated the option of continuing to run the existing vehicles after the implementation of the CAZ, however this does not put the company in particularly good light by failing to ‘do the right thing’ as we strive to do all we can to improve the city that we operate in.

“The cost incurred in continuing to run these vehicles inside the CAZ would also be significant. Assuming that 50 per cent of the vehicles entered the zone each day (Albert Road is inside the CAZ), this would equate to 11 vehicles and at the estimated £100 charge per day, would see an annual cost of £286,000 with zero benefit to BWC or Bristol City Council and far outweigh depreciation costs on a new fleet which is £239,000 per annum.”

The pending introduction of the CAZ has now brought forward the need to replace Bristol Waste’s bin lorries. Photo: Bristol Waste

It said the 23 vehicles comprised eight collection lorries, 11 for street cleansing, three classed as “fleet” and one for waste processing at a total cost of £1.7m, with a loan from the council for that amount giving Bristol Waste the “most flexible method of financing”.

But other cabinet papers giving a financial assessment said: “A further £1.7m for Clean Air Zone fleet replacement is sought.

“However, there remains £700,00 unallocated within the £12m fleet loan facility originally approved for vehicle replacement which could be initially utilised for this purpose.

“The council will work proactively with BWC to identify alternative external funding sources for any outstanding balance, eg, government grant.”

Once the CAZ plans are approved by cabinet next month, they will be worked on with the Government over the summer and must be implemented by October 2021.

Non-compliant private cars, taxis, vans and minibuses will be charged £9 a day, while lorries, buses and coaches will have to pay £100.

Any diesel vehicle not conforming to Euro 6 emission standards and any petrol vehicle not conforming to Euro 4 emission standards will face the fees.

Adam Postans is a local democracy reporter for Bristol.

Main photo: Bristol Waste

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