Drivers could be charged to drive on these five Leeds roads to cut pollution

Tolls could be introduced on five Leeds roads deemed the dirtiest in the city.
Sheepscar InterchangeSheepscar Interchange
Sheepscar Interchange

The A58, A643, A61, A58M and M621 in Leeds are among a list of more than 80 A-roads and motorways across the UK which breach acceptable nitrogen dioxide emission levels and require anti-pollution measures.

A national newspaper revealed the list and added that it forms part of wide-ranging plans set to be announced by environment secretary Michael Gove to cut emissions from vehicles.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Gove will reportedly allow councils to "prevent polluting vehicles using some of these roads at certain times of the day or introducing charging” for driving on certain roads included in the list, but only as a last resort.

He is set to insist that councils first exhaust all other possible options to improve air quality, such as tackling chronic congestion.

Councils would have to scrap the charges once air quality improves.

The move comes as it was revealed that the government is also set to reveal new diesel and petrol cars and vans will be banned in the UK from 2040 in a bid to tackle air pollution.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ministers are also set to unveil a £255 million fund to help councils tackle emissions from diesel vehicles, as part of a wider £3 billion package of spending on air quality.

Local measures could reportedly include altering buses and other transport to make them cleaner, changing road layouts, altering features such as speed humps, and re-programming traffic lights to make vehicle-flow smoother.

Campaigners said the measures were promising, but more detail was needed.

They had wanted government-funded and mandated clean air zones, with charges for the most-polluting vehicles to enter areas with high pollution, included in the plans.

Affected roads in Leeds

A58 and A58(M)

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ripponden - Sowerby Bridge - Halifax - Hipperholme - Birkenshaw - Drighlington - Leeds inner ring road - Easterly Road - Oakwood - Gipton - Seacroft - Scarcroft - Bardsey - Collingham - Wetherby

A643

Armley Gyratory - Morley - Birstall - Gomersal - Cleckheaton - Brighouse - Rastrick

A61

Harrogate - Pannal - Harewood - Scott Hall Road - Potternewton - Sheepscar - Leeds - Wakefield

M621

Ring road - Armley - Elland Road - Beeston - Holbeck - city centre - Hunslet - Middleton - Stourton - Pontefract