WE write on behalf of our membership of over 30 port companies within the Southampton Shipowners Association; we are a longstanding association representing a broad cross section of businesses and employers from the local port community.

Firstly, may we make clear that our membership is formed of Southampton people. We live and work here; we raise our families and enjoy all that our wonderful city has to offer. We are not “faceless big business”, we are an integral part of the local community and we strive to promote and protect it.

Air quality is of course extremely important to all of us, but after following the debates over recent months and considering all the proposals in detail, we feel it is time to make comment.

First a few facts:

1. Air quality in Southampton is already for the great part compliant with the EU clean air regulations and, in the few traffic hot spots where it is not, it is close to the required limit – and hugely importantly – it is improving all the time. So much so that by the council’s own calculations, the city is on target to be 100% compliant with the EU’s 40 mg/m3 NOx limit within the next 36 months. Older commercial vehicles are regularly upgraded and we are seeing the benefits with ever-cleaner traffic emissions.

2. The proposed CAZ for certain HGVs, buses and taxis will not reduce air pollution overall. It will in fact force hauliers to divert vehicles to other ports on the Thames and Felixstowe for international containers, and even more locally to Portsmouth and Lymington for the IOW freight, as the proposed £100 per day charge diverts commerce, and local jobs, to other ports. This is not speculation on our part. Our members report hauliers already making plans to shut their Southampton operations and relocate their businesses to other ports where there will be no charges. Simply ask yourself, would you pay a £100 road toll every day if you could avoid it?

3. The problem with the council’s proposal to bring in a charge for non-Euro 6 HGV vehicles driving into Southampton is that it is effectively a unilateral one and not even one that reflects the projections provided by the traffic consultants engaged by the city council.

The city council’s latest figures, based on roadside monitoring, indicate that 62% of the emissions along the A33, (i.e. the main route into Southampton from the west and into the port) are related to road traffic. Of this 62%, diesel and petrol cars account for almost two thirds, (61%), of the emissions whilst HGV’s account for a relatively low 11%; and the HGV element will reduce even further over the next 2-3 years as more hauliers upgrade to Euro 6 engines.

Meanwhile, Southampton would be one of only a handful of cities in the country choosing to charge. Nottingham was one of the cities, alongside Southampton, selected for this project but their council has successfully opted out by demonstrating that their air quality, like Southampton’s, is already improving and that they can reach compliance without charging. If our council were minded to, we could certainly do the same. Unfortunately, however, it appears that our city council are all for bringing in charges. One wonders what will the council do with their new road camera network when they run out of Euro 5 lorries, buses and taxis to charge? Will it be the commuter in a diesel car next, then petrol? Make no mistake, once the camera network is installed, (at vast cost), every single car coming into the city will be tracked by its number plate. It would be a very simple step to introduce a commuter charge.

One certain fact is that the council’s proposal, which has the potential to take millions of pounds out the local economy, will cost Southampton a significant number of quality jobs. It will deprive local people of the ability to provide for their families and pay their mortgages. Before taking such action there should be an absolute proven environmental case for doing so, but even SCC’s own data shows that there isn’t one.

Our position is a reasoned one. We say let’s suspend the unseemly rush to make a commitment to a multi-million pound camera scheme so quickly – the council are intending to make a decision as soon as next month – but it is far too important a decision to rush into. Let’s continue to monitor closely.

We are confident that the proven natural trend towards our city’s 100% compliance by 2020/21 will progress and we will all be much the better for it. If, for some unforeseeable reason, the improving trend of recent years were to unexpectedly reverse, then go for it – but before we destroy Southampton jobs – let’s see the proven evidence first.

We really can have jobs, prosperity and clean air; they are not mutually exclusive. The fact is we are already well on course to achieving it and without charges. Like a good Master Mariner, we just need to hold our course and be measured and considered in our approach.

Nick Jeffery/Ashley Jenkins

Co-chair of the Executive, Southampton Shipowners Association