The Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone: A Full Guide

In July 2019, Manchester City Council announced a climate emergency due to rising carbon emissions.

Due to this, the government has told Greater Manchester to launch a Category C Clean Air Zone (CAZ) on the 30th May 2022!

This new zone will have a huge impact on road users, luckily our guide has everything you need to know about the Greater Manchester clean air zonE

What Is The Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone?

We’ll discuss the current charges, what areas will be covered by the CAZ, who is exempt from charges and potential funding motorists could apply for.

Similarly to London and Birmingham, the Greater Manchester clean air zone will encourage people to switch to low emission vehicles through daily charges.

The CAZ will run for 7 days a week at 24 hours a day, and there will be daily charges for commercial vehicles that fail to meet the emission standards.

According to the official website Clean Air Greater Manchester, the zone will be introduced on the 30th May 2022!

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Daily Charges For The Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone

How much you will be charged for driving in Greater Manchester’s clean air zone will depend on the type of commercial vehicle you use.

The types of commercial vehicles that could be charged for travelling through the CAZ are:

  • Buses
  • Coaches
  • Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs)
  • Taxis
  • Private hire vehicles
  • Motorcaravans classified as N1 or N2
  • Light Goods Vehicles (LGVs) such as vans and minibuses

It’s been decided that vehicles who are charged will pay via the government’s online portal.

If the charge isn’t paid, then a penalty charge notice of £120 will be added on top of this. However, this will reduce to £60 if the charge is paid within 14 days.

To see if you’ll be charged to drive through the Greater Manchester clean air zone, use the vehicle checker linked to the button below!

Map And Location Of Greater Manchester's CAZ

The new clean air zone will cover several areas in Greater Manchester including:

  • Manchester
  • Salford
  • Trafford
  • Stockport
  • Tameside
  • Oldham
  • Rochdale
  • Bury
  • Bolton
  • Wigan

The CAZ will impact local roads, however it won’t include the Strategic Road Network (SRN) of motorways and major trunk roads which are managed by National Highways.

For a colour-coded map of the clean air zone please click the green button below!

Exemptions In The Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone

National and local exemptions outline exemptions for residents and businesses.

These can range from blue badge holders to showman and specialist vehicles.

View the following national and local exemptions below.

Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone Charges

Clean air zone charges in the greater manchester clean air zone include:

  • Buses, Coaches & HGV’s
  • Taxis & Private Hire Vehicles
  • Vans & Buses

Charges range from £7.50 to £60.

You can view the current vehicle charges below.

Funding For The Greater Manchester CAZ

Greater Manchester has received more than £120 million in government funding to help local businesses move to cleaner vehicles and avoid being charged for travelling through the zone.

Depending on the type of vehicle you have, you could apply for the funding options listed below:

  • Funding For LGVs – You can apply for the Financial Support Scheme for LGV vans and minibuses from the end of January 2022. There will be separate funding options available to motorists who are looking to retrofit or replace their LGVs. For more information on the funding available for non-compliant LGVs, please visit the main website for Greater Manchester’s clean air zone.
  • Funding For Taxis And Private Hires – You will be able to apply for the Financial Support Scheme for taxis and private hire vehicles from the end of January 2022. There are alternative funding options for those looking to retrofit their vehicles. If you have a zero-emission capable vehicle, then you may be eligible to apply for funding to cover running costs under the government plug-in grant. Find out more about funding you can apply for on the main website for Greater Manchester’s clean air zone.
  • Funding For HGVs – The Financial Support Scheme for HGVs is now open! Apply as soon as possible to see whether you’re eligible for funding. You can also apply for financial support to either retrofit or to replace your HGV. The amount offered to retrofit or replace your vehicle will depend on the kind of HGV you have. For example, you could receive up to £6,500 to replace a 44t HGV compared to £12,000 you could get to replace a 32t rigid HGV.
    Find out more about funding for HGVs driving through Greater Manchester’s CAZ.
  • Funding For Motorcaravans – You can apply for the Financial Support Scheme from the end of January 2022.
    Please note that the following motor caravans are eligible for this scheme: N2 (over 3.5t) with a tax class of HGV. Blank on V5C document with an HGV or private HGV tax class Funding options may also be available to retrofit or replace your motorcaravan. Different types of motorcaravan will receive different amounts of funding. For more information, please visit the main website for Greater Manchester’s clean air zone.
  • Funding For Buses – Greater Manchester has received £18.6m from the government to support eligible bus operators. This funding is intended to help registered bus services retrofit or replace their non-compliant vehicles. To apply for funding, please visit Greater Manchester’s CAZ website.
Scrap Your Car In Greater Manchester

You don’t need to wait for a clean air zone to be set up in your area!  If you want to ditch your old car for a greener set of wheels, then get in touch with us!

Based in Accrington, Scrap Local works with reputable recyclers throughout Greater Manchester and offers the best scrap prices with no hidden fees for end of life vehicles.

Get a free quote to scrap your car in Greater Manchester with us! Read our in-depth guide on how to scrap a car to find out more about what we can do for you.

Question's On The Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone
  • Where is the Greater Manchester clean air zone?

    The clean air zone will cover numerous areas in Greater Manchester including:

    • Manchester
    • Oldham
    • Trafford
    • Tameside
    • Salford
    • Rochdale
    • Bury
    • Stockport
    • Wigan
    • Bolton

    The clean air zone in Greater Manchester will also impact certain roads.

    However, motorways which are part of the SRN and major trunk roads managed by National Highways won’t be covered by the CAZ.

  • Who is exempt from the Greater Manchester clean air zone?

    Currently, private cars, motorbikes and mopeds are exempt from the Greater Manchester clean air zone charges.

    Motorcaravans with Euro 6 or cleaner emission standards which are compliant with the CAZ also won’t be charged.

  • Can I get funding from the Greater Manchester CAZ

    Depending on the kind of motor you drive, you may be eligible to receive financial support to replace or retrofit your vehicle.

    You can find out more about potential funding for the Greater Manchester clean air zone in our guide.

  • What are the Greater Manchester clean air zone charges?

    For buses, coaches and HGVs, road users will be charged a daily fee of £60.00 from the 30th May 2022.

    For taxies and private hire vehicles, motorists will be charged a daily fee of £7.50 from the 30th May 2022.

    For vans and minibuses, a daily fee of £10.00 will be charged from the 1st June 2023.

    To find out more about the Greater Manchester CAZ charges, please read our guide.

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