Login
My Garage
New hero

Birmingham launches Clean Air Zone

By Stephen Turvil | June 1, 2021

Share

Why not leave a comment?

See all | Add a comment

Birmingham Clean Air Zone explained with daily charges, how to pay, plus exemptions for workers and local residents.

Birmingham launches Clean Air Zone

Birmingham has launched England’s first clean air zone (CAZ) for private vehicles outside London in a move that will charge private cars for entering city centre space to help improve poor air quality.

In a last-minute call, the city's decision-makers delayed all charging until 14th June. When charging does begin, drivers of older polluting cars, taxis and vans who travel into the centre of Birmingham will face a daily charge of £8, while buses, coaches and HGVs will be charged £50 a day.

Around 25% of vehicles will be impacted in the city although there are temporary exemptions for commercial and community vehicles, as well as some workers and residents.

A number of cities were forced to delay their CAZ plans due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and Leeds scrapped its plans all together after the city claimed it had been able to hit its air quality targets as a results of buses, taxis and lorries switching to lower emission alternatives. Bath did introduce a CAZ in March of this year but charges only apply to commercial vehicles.

Birmingham Clean Air Zone Map

The Birmingham Clean Air Zone covers all roads within the A4540 Middleway Ring Road. However, it excludes the Ring Road itself.

Birmingham Clean Air Zone charges

Birmingham Clean Air Zone charges apply 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You pay if your car, taxi, van, coach, bus, lorry or other motorised vehicle cannot meet its applicable emission standard which is Euro 4 for a petrol car, for or Euro 6 for a diesel car. The cost is £8 a day for a car, taxi, or small van rising to £50 for a larger vehicle such as a coach over 3.5 tonnes. 

How to pay

The Clean Air Zone Birmingham does not include toll booths at the roadside. Instead, the automatic number plate recognition camera system sees your vehicle, calculates its carbon emissions, then charges you if required. You can pay via the internet at https://www.gov.uk/clean-air-zones. However, if you forget to pay there is a £120 penalty. This falls to £60 if you settle within a fortnight. 

Exemptions

Birmingham Clean Air Zone exemptions let you enter for free in a vehicle that cannot meet its emission standard via a temporary worker exemption permit. This is designed for those that live outside the charge area but work in it. To qualify, you must be the vehicle’s keeper, work at least 18 hours a week and earn no more than £30,000. You might also be exempt if you live inside the Zone.

 

Related Articles

You can save big on your car insurance by simply asking
Find out how simple haggling can save you up to £200 on your car insurance renewal. Learn tips to challenge price hikes and get a better...
Jul 02, 2025
Should the Government Raise Petrol Prices to Fund Public Services?
Is increasing petrol prices by 10p per litre a fair way to fund public services, or is it an unfair extra cost on drivers?
Jul 01, 2025
London Congestion Charge to Rise 20% to £18 Daily from January 2026
The Congestion Charge zone covers central London, stretching from Mayfair to Tower Bridge (east-west) and from Euston Road to Vauxhall...
Jul 01, 2025
Car insurance price by title: Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms - who pays more?
Men vs women: who pays more for car insurance in 2025? New data reveals big differences in quotes based on title alone.
Jul 01, 2025