RIVAL councillors clashed at a public meeting over plans to introduce a chargeable clean air zone in Southampton.

Labour council leader Chris Hammond, who was a panellist at the Friends of the Earth event, and Conservative leader Dan Fitzhenry, sitting in the audience, shared heated words as it was debated how a zone would work in the city.

Cllr Fitzhenry took exception to the council leader’s response to a question from a member of the public, in which he stated that “the Conservatives are opposed to the clean air zone”.

“We do support it, just not in the way proposed,” responded Cllr Fitzhenry.

“We have felt from the start that the plans are weak, because the local authority does not have a preferred option.”

However, one member of the audience then shouted: “Please Tory and Labour, get together and sort this out. This should not be political!”

Currently in consultation phase, the council is proposing that a city-wide zone, which could charge certain commercial vehicles up to £100-a-day, may be brought in to tackle the area’s pollution problem.

The authority has been tasked by central government to reduce its nitrogen dioxide amount to the EU-imposed level of below 40 micrograms per cubic air metre by 2022. It is currently 42 micrograms.

However, firms have warned it may be unsustainable for them to operate in the city if a charge is brought in.

Cllr Fitzhenry, speaking at the event held in Friends Meeting House, added: “We would prefer to look at a wider range of plans that would (reach the initial limit), then we would look at how we can go further. Bringing in a charge (for any vehicles) should be a last resort.”

He added that, if in power, the Tory group would work with partners, including the port – which has expressed its concern at the plans – to find the “best possible option”.

Nevertheless, Cllr Hammond stuck by his council, saying that a charge may not need to be brought in, adding “this is the point of the consultation”.

He said: “We’re not trying to use this as a cash cow. We are not using this money to fund other things.

“This is about air pollution.

“We all like change, as long as it affects someone else, but we need to look at ourselves.

“Just getting down to compliance levels is not going to be enough, so we need to develop ongoing improvements.

“We still have a long way to go.”

The council leader also confirmed that the initial cost of the scheme, which will include installing cameras across the entrances to the city, will be funded by central government. The running of the zone, however, will be down to the council.

As previously reported, if a chargeable zone is introduced, the council says cash raised will be spent on initiatives that improve air pollution or promote healthier living.

Responding to a question about the scheme being “too little, too late”, Cllr Hammond added: “As a council, we have already reduced pollution in the city and it has been going down since 2014.

“The government has tasked us to reach the limit in the ‘quickest possible way’. Bringing in a clean air zone (possibly a chargeable one) does this.

“However, we will have an open mind about how and what we implement (using information from the consultation responses).

“There are a lot of people shouting very loudly, but we need to hear the views from everyone.”

To take part in the consultation, which ends on September 13, visit: http://www.southampton.gov.uk/council-democracy/have-your-say/clean-air-consultation.aspx