Bath’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ), set up in 2021 to combat air pollution in the city center, is forecast to run an £800,000 loss next year. However, Bath and North East Somerset Council insists this outcome aligns perfectly with their original plan.
The CAZ requires charges on various polluting vehicles entering central Bath, though private cars remain exempt. Non-payment results in significant fines, which have already generated £7 million for the council by the end of 2023. Despite this strong revenue from fines, the council anticipates that operational costs of the scheme will soon outstrip income, leading to the projected deficit.
At a council scrutiny panel on January 22, Councillor Saskia Heijltjes expressed concern about the forecasted £800,000 shortfall for 2026/27. Council officers clarified that the deficit had been anticipated and is financially covered by surplus funds accumulated from earlier CAZ profits. These reserves were intentionally set aside to sustain the program in its later years.
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Mark Elliott, the council’s cabinet member for resources, emphasized the council’s true objective: “The expectation was that it would become successful and therefore less profitable. The aim was never to make a huge profit; it was to stop polluting vehicles coming into the middle of the city.”
Evidence shows the zone is achieving its goal, with fewer vehicles violating the CAZ rules over time. The council plans to maintain the scheme using the reserved funds until a decision is made to either retire the CAZ or replace it with a new initiative.