Poorly thought out CAZ is damaging to business and residents alike - let's think again
A number of constituents have written to me to raise their concerns over the new Clean Air Zone being introduced by Sheffield City Council.
As a result of the poorly designed CAZ, commercial vehicles will now face a charge to do business, trade and shop in the city centre. Businesses are being penalised, and there’s almost no support available for those operating outside the City centre but needing to travel in to do their work. This doesn’t just affect businesses it affects their customers too.
We all want clean air, but penalising businesses and residents in this way is simply not the right way to do this.
Some buses face charges to travel into the City as well, ultimately pushing costs onto those who use public transport. And the inclusion of the inner ring road within the scheme will punish cross-city journeys that don't include travel into the centre.
In its first month of operation, Sheffield City Council received over £200,000 directly from the CAZ charges and fines alone, this is just not right.
I'm so strongly opposed to the scheme that Sheffield City Council has come up with and have made my opposition to this poorly thought out scheme clear. I have written to Sheffield City Council several times to highlight our concerns, I have written to Michael Gove, the Secretary of State, to share my concerns and request his support, I have called for better engagement with all those affected. And I have worked with individual constituents to help them where a fine has been assigned unfairly.
Sheffield should be welcoming business to the city centre, but the CAZ scheme is actively discouraging traders and business owners from coming to our city, alongside shoppers and other visitors.
If you're a resident of the Penistone and Stocksbridge constituency and your business has been affected by the CAZ, please continue to raise your concerns with me.
