The UK area that's using £600k of taxpayer cash to take down its own 'clean air' signs

A UK area has reportedly been using £600k of taxpayer's money to take down its 'Clean Air' signs.Greater Manchester is officially scrapping its Clean Air Zone (CAZ) scheme. Over 1,300 signs warning drivers about possible charges for polluting vehicles are now being taken down.

The CAZ was meant to cut air pollution, but it was put on hold in 2022 after strong public opposition. Since then, signs were marked as "under review" while leaders reconsidered the plan. In 2025, the UK government gave the green light to a new approach that doesn't involve charging drivers, focusing instead on investment and cleaner transport.

An estimated cost of removing the over 1,300 signs across the region has reached a whopping £600,000, reports Manchester Evening News.

Bury council leader Eamonn O'Brien, who is the Clean Air lead for Greater Manchester, previously told the Manchester Evening News: "We've always been focused on doing what's right for Greater Manchester, and by accelerating investment in our public transport network, we're showing that it's possible to improve air quality faster than if a charging Clean Air Zone had been introduced.

"Investment in the Bee Network is enabling more people to choose cleaner, greener ways to get around - like public transport and walking or cycling - instead of driving.

"As we deliver our Clean Air Plan alongside the Bee Network, with support from the government, we'll roll out the UK's first fully integrated, zero-emission public transport system by the end of the decade and improve the air we all breathe for generations to come."

The cost of removing Greater Manchester's Clean Air Zone signage will be covered by the government's Joint Air Quality Unit, adding to the project's already controversial £100 million price tag.

Of the 1,300 signs installed, only one-managed by National Highways-will be repurposed. Under the original CAZ proposal, taxis, vans, buses, and lorries that failed to meet emissions standards faced charges of up to £60 per day.

However, a government-backed review led to a shift toward an investment-led strategy, scrapping the charges in favour of funding cleaner transport solutions.

Greater Manchester has now been granted £86 million to support initiatives such as vehicle upgrade grants, traffic reduction measures, and the rollout of a fully electric bus fleet for the Bee Network.