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  1. Clean Air Zone car scrappage scheme launched

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    People working within Birmingham's Clean Air Zone (CAZ) will be able to scrap their old car and receive £2,000 credit towards a compliant vehicle.

    Anyone working within the A4540 Middleway Ring Road and earning less than £30,000 a year, can put their non-compliant vehicle forward to be scrapped, in exchange for money off a car from Motorpoint, the city council says.

    Alternatively, drivers can opt to receive £2,000 of credit for public transport in the form of a Swift Travel Card.

    Drivers of high-polluting vehicles will be charged a daily fee of £8 for cars and £50 for buses and HGVs, with some exemptions.

    Birmingham traffic

    The council has estimated the charges will apply to about 25% of vehicles on the city's roads.

    Applications for the scrappage scheme will open prior to the CAZ launch on 1 June, the council said.

    Stephen Arnold, Head of the Clean Air Zone, said the council was taking expressions of interest in the scheme through the Brum Breathes website and will accept full applications shortly.

    "In the meantime, we are encouraging city centre workers who may qualify for this scheme to also apply for a temporary exemption permit so that their existing vehicle will not be subject to the charge when the zone launches on 1 June this year," he added.

  2. Warwickshire firm wins £11m funding for energy-saving car scheme

    More than £11m is to be spent on developing and manufacturing energy-saving technology for cars and vans at a site in Warwickshire.

    Shield Manufacturing Technologies, in Southam, will combine "lightweight energy recovery technology from motorsport with a new motor and inverter for cars and vans" to cut energy consumption and CO2 emissions.

    The money is part of three "green" projects around the UK costing £54m which will see hydrogen fuel cells for buses and lightweight structures for electric heavy goods vehicles, the government said.

    APC graphic