PLANS to turn the city centre into a chargeable clean air zone have been left up in the air - with the council fearing the government will make it charge tradesman who use vans.

Portsmouth City Council has proposed charging commercial vehicles such as buses, taxis, and lorries of a certain age to drive within a small area in the south west of the city.

The council completed an outline plan in October and expected a decision from the government this month - but it has been asked to submit more details, which will delay a public consultation until May at the earliest.

But feedback from council officers suggests the government wants the zone to charge transit van owners, according to council leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson.

A class B clean air zone is the preferred option for Portsmouth City Council, which includes buses, coaches, taxis and heavy goods vehicles of certain ages. Picture: Shutterstock | Other 3rd Party

placeholder image — A class B clean air zone is the preferred option for Portsmouth City Council, which includes buses, coaches, taxis and heavy goods vehicles of certain ages. Picture: Shutterstock | Other 3rd Party

He said: ‘Our problem is that the government has now changed some of the information they want. Our concern is that they will include vans in the zone.

‘They are moving the goalposts.’

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Charges to vans would ‘really hit’ small businesses, according to the council leader.

The area of Portsmouth that could be a chargeable clean air zone if agreed by government. Picture: Portsmouth City Council | Other 3rd Party

The councillor added: ‘We have a concern that (the government) doesn't know what they are doing. We are quite worried.’

More information on the zone's impact on HGV use has been demanded by the Joint Air Quality Unit, a government unit created to implement the government's air quality targets.

But the money spent on meeting these targets ‘could be better invested’, according to Councillor Dave Ashmore, cabinet member for environment and climate change.

He said: ‘We have said all the way along that there are better ways of reducing air pollution and the money could be better invested in long-term solutions that will improve air quality even more than just being compliant.

‘Even though government continues to delay in making a decision, they are still expecting us to start operating the zone by the end of 2021 so that we meet air quality compliance targets.’

The council faces sanctions, which could include fines, if it does not meet the government's targets.

Cllr Ashmore added: ‘The biggest repercussion would be bad health for residents.’

In 2018, The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs found that Portsmouth had some of the worst levels of dangerous air pollution particles outside of London.