The Freight Transport Association has been urging businesses in West Yorkshire to make sure that their voices are being heard in order to avoid the risk of incurring significant additional operating costs. This plea has been issued as Leeds City Council consults on plans that have been drawn up for a new Clean Air Zone in the city.

FTA, the UK’s leading body working to represent the logistics sector has said that the geographical size of the plans for the new scheme is more extensive than many local companies have been expecting. The plans for the proposed new scheme were announced on the 5th December and the FTA has warned that they will need to make their objections hear to the council earlier rather than later in order to make sure that the council can start their planning now and reduce any extra costs and disruption.

Leeds is one of the five English cities that have been instructed to introduce a Clean Air Zone as a part of plans by the Government to improve the air quality of urban areas. Leeds City Council have now published a draft consultation document which outlines the proposals for their local scheme. Under the plans, truck buses that do not meet the Euro VI emissions standard will have to pay a daily charge of £100 in order to operate within the zone.

There will be a consultation period for these proposals, and during this time, businesses are able to register their opinions with the council online from later this week. It is expected that the final plans for this Clean Air Zone Scheme will be implemented by the end of 2019. The FTA have been working to keep their members up to date on the developments in Leeds and feel that whatever the extent of the scheme, many businesses in West Yorkshire are likely to face a significant amount of extra costs through the implementation of this scheme, which will then inevitably be passed on from them on to local residents, if not force those businesses into potentially difficult financial situations.