Tyneside – Newcastle & Gateshead Clean Air Zone (CAZ)

Newcastle City Council and Gateshead Council will both be introducing a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) over the coming months, with the first implementations expected towards the end of January 2023, so let Scrap Car Comparison guide you through everything you need to know to keep you motoring along as efficiently as possible.

Where is the CAZ in place?

When it’s implemented over the winter of 2022 and 2023, the Gateshead and Newcastle CAZ will cover the vast majority of Newcastle City Centre with the southern boundary running along the River Tyne. The remaining boundaries will run along the following roads:

  • Dunn Street
  • Railway Street
  • George Street
  • Rye Hill
  • Elswick Road
  • Diana Street
  • Leazes Terrace (encompassing St James’ Park)
  • Queen Victoria Road
  • Claremont Road
  • Newcastle Central Motorway

Anything within the area created by the roads listed above is within the CAZ, while small portions of New Bridge Street and City Road are also included. In addition to the above, the Tyne, Swing, Redheugh and High Level Bridges all have their own extensions to the CAZ.

What vehicles are covered in the CAZ?

The Gateshead and Newcastle Clean Air Scheme is a Class C CAZ (help: different CAZ classes), meaning that private cars and motorcycles are not required to pay the daily charge to enter the zone. However, both councils have not ruled out the possibility of private cars being charged in future. For all other types of vehicles, the following rules apply:

Type of Vehicle

Minimum Standard

Taxi or Private Hire Vehicle Petrol – Euro 4 (generally 2006 or newer)Diesel – Euro 6 (generally 2015 or newer)
Vans Petrol – Euro 4 (generally 2006 or newer)Diesel – Euro 6 (generally 2015 or newer)
Bus or Coach Euro 6 (generally 2015 or newer)
Heavy Goods Vehicle Euro 6 (generally 2015 or newer)

Gov.UK offers a service where you can check if charges apply to your vehicle, although this service is only available for vehicles registered in the UK. Charges will still apply to vehicles registered outside of the UK.

For a breakdown of what each class of CAZ means, we’ve put together a handy guide, breaking down what qualifies for each type of scheme.

How much will I pay?

As with most CAZs up and down the country, the daily charge will change depending on the vehicle that you are driving, with the smaller non-compliant vehicles paying £12.50 a day, while larger, heavier vehicles pay up to £50 a day. A full breakdown of daily charges can be found below.

Type of Vehicle

Daily Charge

Taxi or Private Hire vehicle £12.50
Van £12.50
Bus or Coach £50
Heavy Goods Vehicle £50

The charge will be payable once per day, so you can come and go within the zone as many times as you like on a single day without incurring multiple costs. Failure to pay will result in a Penalty Charge Notice. 

There are a small number of exemptions to the above rules, providing you meet either national or local regulations – full information on these exemptions can be found at the Breathe Clean Air website.

Can I get a grant to get a compliant vehicle?

The Newcastle and Gateshead councils are currently in the process of finalising their support package for owners of non-compliant vehicles who will be affected by the implementation of the Tyneside CAZ. We will update our page here when more information is made available, but you can also register for information directly from the council at the Tyneside CAZ website.

Scrap your car for the most cash

If you’d rather get ahead of the game and scrap your old, polluting vehicle now rather than wait for the grant information to come through and find out you’re ineligible, then you can get started right away with Scrap Car Comparison. 

Our unrivalled network of specialist buyers and industry experts mean that we are in the ideal position to provide you with the very best price possible for your old car. You’ll receive a quote from us within 60 seconds, and the entire process can be completed in just a couple of days. Payment will be made directly into your bank account on the day your old vehicle is collected, leaving you free to do whatever you want with the cash, no strings attached – as there may be with any government grants.

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