Birmingham Clean Air Zone: when does it start and how much will you pay?

Birmingham's Clean Air Zone starts on 1 June, with drivers of older cars and vans paying up to £8 a day to enter the city. 

The Birmingham Clean Air Zone (CAZ) will operate in a similar way to the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) in London, with number plate reading cameras logging vehicle movements 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with charges applied daily to older cars and vans.

Non-compliant vehicles driving in the CAZ will pay once for the day, then may drive in the area without limit on that day. For diesel cars and vans, the standard is Euro6 or better — while petrol cars will need a Euro4 standard or better. 

Vehicle owners should be able to see the declared Euro emission rating on their V5C (logbook) in section D2. Fully electric or hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles won’t need to pay the charge. 

CAZs are designed to improve air quality in city centres and encourage people to drive greener vehicles - like EVs, hybrids, and cleaner petrol and diesel cars. Birmingham is one of five areas that has been ordered by the Government to clean up its streets and cut harmful nitrogen dioxide levels. 

Birmingham CAZ was originally scheduled to start in 2020; however, in response to the impact of Covid-19, the launch date has been postponed until June 2021. The Birmingham Clean Air Zone follows the CAZ in Bath, which launched in March 2021.

In August, Oxford will become one of the first places in the UK to introduce a Zero Emission Zone, with the level of daily charge dependent on how polluting the vehicle is. Greater Manchester will delay its Clean Air Zone (CAZ) until 2022, a year later than originally planned. It’s set to be England’s biggest CAZ, spanning 10 local authority areas across Greater Manchester.

Birmingham residents and people who live in the city centre can apply for an exemption or financial help. The criteria includes working at least 18 hours per week at a business situated within the CAZ.

Disabled passenger vehicles are automatically exempt from paying any CAZ charges. This does not include blue badge holders who will be required to pay the daily charge if their vehicle does not meet the emissions standard.