The Government has launched an online tool that makes it easier for individuals and businesses to check whether their vehicles are allowed free entry into the new clean air zones in Birmingham and Leeds.

The tool, which can be found at gov.uk/check-clean-air-zone-charge, lets users input a vehicle registration for a UK-registered vehicle and then displays whether that vehicle needs to pay a charge to enter the city.

Birmingham is planning to instate its clean air zone (CAZ) on 1 July within its Middleway Ring Road. From that date, diesel cars and LCVs that don’t conform to Euro 6 emissions will have to pay £8 per day to enter, as will petrol cars below Euro 4 and gas cars under Euro 6. 

These requirements are the same as London’s ULEZ, although driving into London is more expensive for non-compliant vehicles, at £12.50 per day.

The Leeds CAZ, for which the start date is yet to be announced, has the same standards, but it only applies to taxis, private hire vehicles, minibuses, HGVs and buses. 

Sheffield and Bath are also planning to introduce CAZs, in 2020 and 2021.