PLANS for a Clean Air Zone in Southampton are set to be scrutinised by opposition members tomorrow (Jan 16), after civic chiefs decided not to propose a commercial charging zone.

Conservative and independent councillors will debate whether the plans to improve Southampton’s air quality are the right ones, and should be changed in any way.

Any amendments the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee suggests will be sent to the special Cabinet meeting on January 19, although changes will require the signing off from the city council-controlling Labour group.

As reported, proposals include new rules to clean up the city’s buses and a new three month try-before-you-buy scheme to encourage taxi drivers to go electric.

Experts will also be brought in to asses the use of more freight trains in the city, in a bid to keep high-polluting HGVs out.

But the document did not include proposals for a clean-air zone charge, which would have seen commercial vehicles, such buses and HGVs, charged up to £100 to enter Southampton.

That’s despite the plan previously being the council’s preferred option in its bid to cut pollution.

It was also backed by more than half the residents who responded to the city’s biggest-ever public consultation.

Following the special cabinet meeting next Tuesday (Jan 19), the plans will be sent to Westminster for ministerial sign off on January 31.

It comes after Southampton was named as one of five local authorities in England, outside of London, to need a plan due to illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide – according to EU law.

The council says its plan, which it expects to cost just under £3 million, and will keep the city’s pollution below the legal level in a number of tested areas, including Northam Bridge, Millbrook Road West and West Quay Road.

According to the report, a clean-air zone charge would have led to further pollution reductions than its now proposed non-charging measures.

However, the council says in its report that such a scheme could not be implemented until 2020, would cost about £14 million, and would likely not be financially supported by the government.

Yet, not everyone was happy with the decision.

Environmental campaigners claimed the authority’s plan was a “cop-out”, and does not tackle the issues surrounding the city’s dangerously high pollution levels.

The meeting will be held in Southampton Civic Centre Council Chamber from 5.30pm on January 16.