Bath’s Council chief has said there is “zero chance” of local car drivers being charged to enter the city’s Clean Air Zone.

Some areas are still showing illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide, prompting speculation about the steps B&NES Council will take to tackle it, but Kevin Guy said the disruption caused by the pandemic meant it was too early to draw conclusions from the data.

He said pressure from Government could force a change to the charging regime – but he chose his words carefully in saying B&NES residents would definitely not be charged.

Councillor Guy told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Because of Covid, people’s transport changed. This year’s data can’t really be an accurate interpretation of how well the CAZ is working. We will have to wait at least another year to see what the new normal is before we make any decisions.”

Bath and numerous other cities across the country were given until the end of 2021 to bring nitrogen dioxide levels within the legal limit following a court case against the Government. With that deadline missed, there has been speculation that changes to the charging regime will be needed. Councillor Guy said:

“Because we were the first outside of London to introduce a CAZ, it’s a trial for central Government as well.

“As per our 2019 commitment, we don’t have any single intention of charging cars for B&NES residents, however if the Government forces us because of the data, we will have to act accordingly.” He reiterated: “Categorically, there is zero chance of us charging cars from B&NES to enter the Clean Air Zone.”