Bath Now Has a Clean Air Zone

[mr brown]

parts of the Bristol cycle paths are still dangerous ,gangs of young men stealing bikes and phones . my daughter was found unconscious there a couple of years ago by passers-by , her bike was still there but they took her phone .this was by Easton/whitehall

 

[mr brown]

it's quite cleverly worked out . Bath has no ring road , and the map manages to include all the usual routes through the city, like the upper and lower bristol rds . if i ,who's lived in both Bath and Bristol ,am having trouble finding a way to get past this giant roadblock ,god help the drivers from other towns ,who are destined to help fill the greedy city coffers

 

[Nightwalker]

It's really easy to avoid the Clean Air Zone constraints in Bath, simply because there's a brilliant system of park and ride sites distributed around Bath City.
In previous years when visiting the Xmas market I've used the M4 and then the huge Lansdown P&R:

Lansdown Park & Ride – Service 31 - WEST

Buses to Bath City Centre (Milsom Street). Please note that the routes in the map below are merely indicative. Refer to each service’s official route map to see actual stops and route. This map may not be accessible for people using assistive technology. Please use this contact form if you...

travelwest.info

There are other P&Rs - a quick interwebby search will find the others if Lansdown doesn't suit. They even accept OAP cards so the bus ride is free if, like me, you fall into that category!

Colin

But the charges apply even if you have no interest in visiting Bath! Passing through on the A36 goes through the zone.....beware.
Avoid Bath....and take your motorhome through the narrow lanes and picturesque villages of West Wiltshire and upset the locals.
Well done BANES - some real joined-up thinking.

 

[Full Member]

Parking is free, only the bus fare is chargeable it suggests on the travelwest website:



Colin

 

[GeoffL]

But the charges apply even if you have no interest in visiting Bath! Passing through on the A36 goes through the zone.....beware.
Avoid Bath....and take your motorhome through the narrow lanes and picturesque villages of West Wiltshire and upset the locals.
Well done BANES - some real joined-up thinking.

FWIW, I try to avoid motorways if I don't have to be somewhere quickly. I've done the trip from Exminster to Stroud a few times and always routed on the A36 through Bath. However, now Google Maps suggests the best route is on the B3109 through Bradford-on-Avon if I choose to avoid tolls and highways. That's over ten miles on a narrow B road because Bradford-on-Avon is the only realistic alternative to Bath for crossing the river Avon.

It's worse for those of us who have 'PHGV' motorhomes as you have to pay within six days and they say it can take 14 days to process your application for the discount. So, unless you've pre-registered, inadvertently entering the CAZ is going to cost 'older PHGV' motorhomers an eye-watering £100

 

[mr brown]

FWIW, I try to avoid motorways if I don't have to be somewhere quickly. I've done the trip from Exminster to Stroud a few times and always routed on the A36 through Bath. However, now Google Maps suggests the best route is on the B3109 through Bradford-on-Avon if I choose to avoid tolls and highways. That's over ten miles on a narrow B road because Bradford-on-Avon is the only realistic alternative to Bath for crossing the river Avon.

It's worse for those of us who have 'PHGV' motorhomes as you have to pay within six days and they say it can take 14 days to process your application for the discount. So, unless you've pre-registered, inadvertently entering the CAZ is going to cost 'older PHGV' motorhomers an eye-watering £100

and that bridge in Bradford is already a horrible bottleneck . could get interesting !

 

[Mick Jordan]

It's really easy to avoid the Clean Air Zone constraints in Bath, simply because there's a brilliant system of park and ride sites distributed around Bath City.
In previous years when visiting the Xmas market I've used the M4 and then the huge Lansdown P&R:

Lansdown Park & Ride – Service 31 - WEST

Buses to Bath City Centre (Milsom Street). Please note that the routes in the map below are merely indicative. Refer to each service’s official route map to see actual stops and route. This map may not be accessible for people using assistive technology. Please use this contact form if you...

travelwest.info

There are other P&Rs - a quick interwebby search will find the others if Lansdown doesn't suit. They even accept OAP cards so the bus ride is free if, like me, you fall into that category!

Colin

It's not really easy to avoid if you come down the A46 and want to go in the Warminster A36 direction, they've included the only trunk road you can use in the CAZ....... I have been in correspondence with them, their suggestion is to use the little Bathampton toll bridge and charge through the tiny Bathampton narrow village streets, or go miles out of your way through other West Wilts towns and villages, who are needless to say up in arms at the extra traffic being directed through them by the Bath authorities. Ridiculous.....

 

[Mick Jordan]

still trying to work out a route to Bradford on avon from Bristol . Bath's just a theme park now, and a city full of knick-knack shops for the rich . we loved living there years ago ,but it's now just another tourist cash collector . i'll miss parking the van in vicky and alexandra parks tho

Newton St Loe, Odd Down, Claverton (Brass Knocker Hill !), Lympley Stoke, Winsley, B-O-A - that do you?!

 

[GeoffL]

still trying to work out a route to Bradford on avon from Bristol . Bath's just a theme park now, and a city full of knick-knack shops for the rich . we loved living there years ago ,but it's now just another tourist cash collector . i'll miss parking the van in vicky and alexandra parks tho

Newton St Loe, Odd Down, Claverton (Brass Knocker Hill !), Lympley Stoke, Winsley, B-O-A - that do you?!

Alternatively, from the North East of Bristol: Warmley (A420) then A46 south, then A4 East, then A363 to Bradford. (Google Maps clicky link)

 

[Trek]

I emailed them last year asking for alternative route for me to get from the M4/A46 to A36 so to avoid the emissions charge ?

their reply :-

I have looked into this for you. One alternative route would be to exit the M4 at Bristol instead then to follow the A4 and turn off at Newton St Lowe as you come into Bath (before the Clean Air Zone boundary starts). By going this way, there will be multiple ways to pick up the A36 in order to travel to areas south of Bath. Depending on where you live, this might be a big or small diversion. Therefore you will have to weigh up the costs of this diversion and consider whether paying the CAZ charge is more cost effective.

All non-compliant motor homes will receive a charge of £100. However, this can be reduced to £9 if you meet the exemption criteria. See the link below for this.
https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/get-exemption-or-discount-baths-clean-air-zone

Alternatively, if you drive your vehicle into the Clean Air Zone more than 2 days per week, it is more cost-effective to upgrade your vehicle. You may be eligible for a grant and/or interest free loan.
If your application for finance is approved, you will be required to sell your current vehicle and upgrade to one of a similar nature that meets our emission standards. This could be a new or second-hand vehicle, but it will have to be Euro 6 Diesel, Euro 4,5,6 Petrol or hybrid or electric.

If you would like more information on this, you can call one of our Travel Advisors on 07870 868829.

Kind Regards

Aliyah
Clean Air Zone Team
Bath & North East Somerset Council
Lewis House
Bath
BA1 1JG
Telephone: 01225 396189

 

[Deleted member 4312]

Oops.

A letter arrived on the doormat this morning informing me that I had used my van in the Bath CAZ and as I hadn’t paid the £9 fee I also had to pay a penalty charge - £120, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.

My few days away in the Brecon Beacons was more expensive than I thought!

 

[wildebus]

It's not really easy to avoid if you come down the A46 and want to go in the Warminster A36 direction, they've included the only trunk road you can use in the CAZ....... I have been in correspondence with them, their suggestion is to use the little Bathampton toll bridge and charge through the tiny Bathampton narrow village streets, or go miles out of your way through other West Wilts towns and villages, who are needless to say up in arms at the extra traffic being directed through them by the Bath authorities. Ridiculous.....

Is that actually their suggestion? to "charge through ...."? interesting

I emailed them last year asking for alternative route for me to get from the M4/A46 to A36 so to avoid the emissions charge ?

their reply :-

..... Therefore you will have to weigh up the costs of this diversion and consider whether paying the CAZ charge is more cost effective...

So they are saying that is it really about revenue and not pollution as suggesting driving your dirty emissions vehicle in their clean air zone is ok - and actually recommended - by them as long as you pay up

It's really easy to avoid the Clean Air Zone constraints in Bath, simply because there's a brilliant system of park and ride sites distributed around Bath City.
In previous years when visiting the Xmas market I've used the M4 and then the huge Lansdown P&R:

Lansdown Park & Ride – Service 31 - WEST

Buses to Bath City Centre (Milsom Street). Please note that the routes in the map below are merely indicative. Refer to each service’s official route map to see actual stops and route. This map may not be accessible for people using assistive technology. Please use this contact form if you...

travelwest.info

There are other P&Rs - a quick interwebby search will find the others if Lansdown doesn't suit. They even accept OAP cards so the bus ride is free if, like me, you fall into that category!

Colin

No height restrictions on the Park and Ride?
Just wondering as that is often the case (for example in all the Park and Ride Car Parks for Edinburgh I have used)

 

[Full Member]

Is that actually their suggestion? to "charge through ...."? interesting


So they are saying that is it really about revenue and not pollution as suggesting driving your dirty emissions vehicle in their clean air zone is ok - and actually recommended - by them as long as you pay up


No height restrictions on the Park and Ride?
Just wondering as that is often the case (for example in all the Park and Ride Car Parks for Edinburgh I have used)

I don't recall any height barriers at the Lansdown P&R, David, although I probably last used the carpark in December 2018 or December 2019.

Colin