Birmingham council pays itself nearly £500,000 as own vehicles breach Clean Air Zone rules

Birmingham City Council has had to pay itself more than £470,000 in charges and fines - because its own vehicles break the rules of its Clean Air Zone (CAZ) policy. The CAZ was introduced on June 1, 2021 to tackle pollution in the city centre. It requires drivers of older cars, vans and trucks to pay a daily fee to enter the city centre. Restrictions apply to all roads within Birmingham ’s A4540 Middleway Ring Road, except the ring road itself, and are operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including bank holidays. READ MORE

9 tower blocks to undergo major transformation - changing city skyline At the time, Birmingham City Council said air pollution was responsible for shortening the lives of around 900 people in the city every year. But figures from the Shared Data Unit reveal the council's own vehicles are not meeting the minimum emissions standards. Since the CAZ scheme began almost five years ago, non-compliant vehicles in the council's fleet have triggered 3,262 daily charges and fines, totalling £472,253. Most of the vehicles which drew daily charges were from its waste department. It admitted 142 (12%) of the 1,170 vehicles in its fleet, as of 31 March, remained non-compliant with the CAZ requirements. The council, which has faced a continuous bin strike since January 2025, says it has been replacing non-compliant vehicles over the past 12 months and wants “eco driving” across its fleet. The Shared Data Unit found the number of fines and daily charges paid by Birmingham City Council represented around 20 times the number of those paid by any other UK council running a CAZ, Low Emission Zone (LEZ) or Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). The daily charge for vehicles that do not meet emission standards is £8 for cars, vans and taxis or £50 for HGVs and coaches, unless a valid exemption is in place. You can pay online or by phone and it is enforced using Automatic Number Plate Recognition, and anyone who fails to pay within six days after entering the zone faces a £120 fine, which is reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days. The income from CAZ charges and fines goes towards the operating costs of the scheme and any surplus has to be spent on transport or environmental schemes. The money does not go back into the council’s general funds so it cannot be reallocated to other projects.