Agenda item

A report from the Executive Director (Operations) is attached.

The Executive Director (Operations) submitted a report outlining the proposal to bring forward the implementation of existing standards related to emissions from the 1^st April 2026 to the 1^st January 2026 for licensed vehicles eligible for current transitional arrangements. The rationale for this relates to the recent submissions to Government with revised proposals around the GM Clean Air Plan and requirement from Government to ensure a GM agreed emissions standard for all Taxi and Private Hire vehicles by the 31^st December 2025.

The Head of Public Protection presented the report to Members and outlined the opportunity and risk element of the paper.

Full background information was provided to the Committee which included taxi and private hire vehicle measures and the Council’s position.

Fleet data analysis was contained in a number of tables within the report attached to the agenda pack.

It was recommended in the report that the Licensing and Safety Committee

considered and adopted the following amendment to the existing emission

standard and recommended to Full Council that the amendment be approved:-

For existing vehicle licence proprietors

That the transitional arrangements agreed by Full Council on 22 March 2023, in relation to age and emissions standards that were previously extended from 1 April 2024 to 1 April 2026 are brought forward by three months to 1 January 2026.This will enable hackney carriage and private hire vehicle owners to meet the agreed GM emissions standard outlined in the revised GM Clean Air Plan. The amended policy will state that from 31 December 2024 a vehicle licence will not be renewed if the vehicle does not meet the current emission standard.

Members raised concerns on the impact this would have on the trade and vehicles being registered outside Greater Manchester in areas such as Sefton and Wolverhampton. What would be done to keep drivers staying with Bury rather than register with another authority.

The Head of Public Protection assumed funding would be available to put support in place and those drivers affected would be communicated with.

Members questioned vehicle upgrade costs and in relation to excessive levels of nitrogen dioxide across Greater Manchester by 2025, a Member asked how many areas would be in Bury as the report stated the majority of these would be in central Manchester and Salford.

The Head of Public Protection would share with Members the public document produced by Greater Manchester which contained all the full detailed information.

A Member asked about retrofitting and was there evidence of any impact and how it was scrutinised in Bury. The Head of Public Protection reported that he would make a note of the question and research the required information and provide a response in due course.

Discussions took place about including the trade views on the issue and gauging their opinions to make sure they stayed licensed with Bury Council.

The Head of Public Protection would also provide diffusion tube data which was used to assess levels of nitrogen dioxide in the air across Greater Manchester for scientific modelling to predict future levels.

Delegated decision:

It was agreed by the Licensing and Safety Committee to defer making a decision until the next Committee was held on the 22^nd February 2024. The report would be resubmitted and include feedback and information from the taxi trade following the trade and liaison meeting taking place on the 15^th February 2024.