BUSINESSES in Leeds are being invited to apply for a share of £23 million worth of financial support to help them prepare for the introduction of a clean air charging zone.

Leeds City Council is making grants and interest-free loans available to help with the cost of switching to less polluting vehicles that won’t be charged for driving within the zone.

Applications are now open for owners of non-scheduled buses and coaches based in or operating within Leeds to apply for grants of up to £16,000 to upgrade or retrofit their non-compliant vehicles.

Operators of heavy goods vehicles will be able to apply for similar £16,000 grants from March 18.

Owners and leaseholders of taxi and private hire vehicles that have been licensed with Leeds City Council for one year or longer will be able to choose between applying for either a £10,000 interest-free loan per vehicle or a £1,500 grant per vehicle to cover transitional costs.

Taxi and private hire applications will open to owners and leaseholders of a single vehicle from April 1 and to owners and operators of multiple vehicles from June 1.

Leeds City Council has also confirmed that a number of vehicles—including those used by emergency services, eligible school buses, and those with a historic tax class—will qualify for temporary or permanent exemptions and will not pay charges. The Clean Air Charging Zone is due to come into effect by January next year.

Cllr James Lewis, executive member with responsibility for sustainability and resources, said: “Like most residents in Leeds, we believe that tackling air pollution to protect the health of everyone in the city is a priority.

“We recognise that this transition will be difficult for some businesses to make. However, we are pleased to confirm that £23 million of financial support is being made available to directly help those affected.

“By making the switch to cleaner vehicles more affordable for local businesses, this financial support will minimise the zone’s economic impact whilst helping to improve air quality in Leeds.

“With a finite amount of government funding available, we are prioritising support for owners of taxi and private hire vehicles licensed by Leeds City Council.”

Visit www.leeds.gov.uk/cleanairzone for more details.