Clean Air Zone forces popular shop to close its doors as drivers 'don’t want to pay £10 a visit'

Employees at DIY shop Wickes near the Moor in Sheffield stated that its customers “don’t want to pay £10 a visit” which has affected footfall to the shop.

According to reports, the decrease in customers was due to the CAZ, alongside other factors, with the final day of trade coming on August 16, while the shop is due to be vacated on September 30.

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The CAZ was launched in February 2023 to help improve air quality by reducing the number of polluting vehicles entering the city centre.

The council stated that one in 20 deaths in the city was due to poor air quality, which prompted the city to impose new restrictions.

Half of the staff at the branch were long-term employees with the rest being students or short-term workers. Ten workers took redundancies while the rest have moved to other stores, including on Rutland Road, which sits outside of the CAZ, according to The Star.

One worker said: “We’re sat right in the middle of it, and white van traders don’t want to pay £10 a visit.”

Under CAZ rules, cars and vans must meet certain emission standards to be compliant with the zone to avoid charges.

Vans, minibuses, taxis, private hire vehicles and cars must adhere to Euro 6 emissions for diesel engines and Euro 4 for petrol.

Drivers who breach the zone and fail to pay the £10 daily fee can be charged £120, although this can be halved to £60 if paid within 14 days.

Wessex Fleet found that on average, Sheffield City Council makes £395,172 in CAZ fines per month ranking fourth in England for collecting the most penalties.

Wickes said in a statement: “The Wickes store in Moors Street, Sheffield, is closing due to it coming to the end of its lease. We are supporting store colleagues who are affected. The store will close on 30th September.”

Drivers can pay the Clean Air Zone charge up to six days before or on the day of travel. They also have until 11.59pm on the sixth day to pay, after driving through the Sheffield CAZ.

The CAZ predominantly covers the city centre and includes the A61 ring road as well as Castle Square, City Hall, and West Street. The University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam is also included in the zone.

Councillor Miskell, Chair for the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee at the council told GB News: "We've been monitoring vehicle movements following the launch of the Clean Air Zone, however, there is no evidence of rerouting in response to the CAZ.

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"In fact, recent data shows us that the volume of traffic travelling into and around the city centre has remained consistent with levels seen before it went live.

“Sheffield City Centre is transforming and we’re seeing more businesses open and footfall increasing. Taking action to improve air quality saves lives and continues to be the right thing to do. Private cars are not charged to enter the CAZ and businesses are taking up the support on offer to upgrade to cleaner vehicles."