Tyneside – Newcastle & Gateshead Clean Air Zone (CAZ)

Newcastle City Council and Gateshead Council both introduced a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) coming into force in January 2023. Let Scrap Car Comparison guide you through everything you need to know to keep you motoring along as efficiently as possible.

Where is the CAZ in place?

The Gateshead and Newcastle CAZ covers the vast majority of Newcastle City Centre with the southern boundary running along the River Tyne. The remaining boundaries will run along the following roads:

• Dunn Street
• Railway Street
• George Street
• Rye Hill
• Elswick Road
• Diana Street
• Leazes Terrace (encompassing St James’ Park)
• Queen Victoria Road
• Claremont Road
• Newcastle Central Motorway

Anything within the area created by the roads listed above is within the CAZ, while small portions of New Bridge Street and City Road are also included. In addition to the above, the Tyne, Swing, Redheugh and High Level Bridges all have their own extensions to the CAZ.

What vehicles are covered in the CAZ?

The Gateshead and Newcastle Clean Air Scheme is a Class C CAZ (help: different CAZ classes), meaning that private cars and motorcycles are not required to pay the daily charge to enter the zone. However, both councils have not ruled out the possibility of private cars being charged in future. For all other types of vehicles, the following rules apply:

Type of Vehicle	Minimum Standard
Taxi or Private Hire Vehicle	Petrol – Euro 4 (generally 2006 or newer)Diesel – Euro 6 (generally 2015 or newer)
Vans	Petrol – Euro 4 (generally 2006 or newer)Diesel – Euro 6 (generally 2015 or newer)
Bus or Coach	Euro 6 (generally 2015 or newer)
Heavy Goods Vehicle	Euro 6 (generally 2015 or newer)

Gov.UK offers a service where you can check if charges apply to your vehicle, although this service is only available for vehicles registered in the UK. Charges will still apply to vehicles registered outside of the UK.

For a breakdown of what each class of CAZ means, we’ve put together a handy guide, breaking down what qualifies for each type of scheme.

How much will I pay?

As with most CAZs up and down the country, the daily charge will change depending on the vehicle that you are driving, with the smaller non-compliant vehicles paying £12.50 a day, while larger, heavier vehicles pay up to £50 a day. A full breakdown of daily charges can be found below.

Type of Vehicle	Daily Charge
Taxi or Private Hire vehicle	£12.50
Van	£12.50
Bus or Coach	£50
Heavy Goods Vehicle	£50

The charge will be payable once per day, so you can come and go within the zone as many times as you like on a single day without incurring multiple costs. Failure to pay will result in a Penalty Charge Notice. 

There are a small number of exemptions to the above rules, providing you meet either national or local regulations – full information on these exemptions can be found at the Breathe Clean Air website.

Can I get a grant to get a compliant vehicle?

The Newcastle and Gateshead councils paused the CAZ grant system in December of 2023 for a review. With funding limited, the councils chose to prioritise those who had to operate within the area, with proof of regular business within the CAZ boundaries a requirement to receive any grants. The scheme, with updating eligibility, will be relaunched in February 2024.

Scrap your car for the most cash

If you’d rather get ahead of the game and scrap your old, polluting vehicle now rather than wait for the grant information to come through and find out you’re ineligible, then you can get started right away with Scrap Car Comparison. 

Our unrivalled network of specialist buyers and industry experts mean that we are in the ideal position to provide you with the very best price possible for your old car. You’ll receive a quote from us within 60 seconds, and the entire process can be completed in just a couple of days. Payment will be made directly into your bank account on the day your old vehicle is collected, leaving you free to do whatever you want with the cash, no strings attached – as there may be with any government grants.

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A local counciller has stated that there are no plans for a London-style ULEZ for Brighton residents. Local air-quality campaigners disagree, however, and believe there should be a system in place that would see all of Brighton & Hove south of the A27 covered by the scheme.

How much will I pay?

There has been no information on how much the charges would be for an expanded ULEZ in Brighton & Hove. Prices across the country for similar charges can range from £8 up to £18 for personal cars, rising into three figures for drivers of larger vehicles.

Can I get a grant to get a compliant vehicle?

As there is no ULEZ in place, there are no current grants in place to make things easier for you to buy a more ecological car. However, if you own an electric vehicle, the government will provide 75% of the cost of an EV chargepoint at domestic properties through the EV chargepoint grant.

Scrap your car for the best price with Scrap Car Comparison

While nothing has been officially put in place yet, there is the possibility that driving in Brighton is going to become much more costly for owners of petrol and diesel-powered vehicles over the coming years, so why not get ahead of the game and get yourself an EV now and be ready for when the charges come into effect. Thanks to a nationwide network of specialist buyers, Scrap Car Comparison can guarantee you the very best price for your old car in no time at all. With the money being paid directly into your bank account, you can put it towards an electric vehicle the same day your old car is collected. 

Get started today and find out just how much your old car could be worth and be ready for when the inevitable charges are put in place.