The coronavirus crisis has now put Clean Air Zone plans across the UK on hold; councils in Birmingham, Oxford and Leeds wrote to the government last week to ask for a delay until the pandemic situation subsides.
A spokesman for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) told the BBC: “We are sympathetic to the challenges local authorities are facing and we are working with them to mitigate the impact this may have on other priorities.
“We have received Birmingham’s request to delay the implementation of its Clean Air Zone, and will respond as soon as possible.”
