Police cars, ambulances and fire engines will be charged to enter Bath’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) from next month.

A four-year exemption for emergency service vehicles and those used by voluntary groups in support of them, in place since the scheme launched in 2021, ends on March 14.

Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) Council leaders insist it will affect only a limited number of vehicles because 999 organisations have had such a long time to plan for them and make changes to their fleet.

But a report to Avon Fire Authority committee, which meets on Friday, February 14, said more than half of the service’s vehicles were still not CAZ-compliant and it would take another six years for them all to be.

Private cars and motorbikes are not charged to enter the zone, although higher emission taxis and private hire cars are.

The fire authority report asks councillors to approve a three-year capital budget, including £4.8million investment in its fleet.

It said: “New technology vehicles are roughly 100 per cent more expensive than the cost of the equivalent internal combustion vehicles, across both the car and commercial vehicle market.

“The level of CAZ-compliant vehicles within the station-based appliance fleet is currently 40 per cent because of the fleet replacement programme.

“Current expectation is the fleet will be CAZ-compliant by 2031.”

B&NES Council deputy leader Cllr Sarah Warren (Lib Dem, Bathavon North) said: “Since 2019, Bath and North East Somerset Council has worked closely alongside emergency service providers to support them in reducing the impact of the introduction of a CAZ Bath, including a four-year exemption from charges across whole fleets.

“This exemption has allowed emergency service organisations four additional years to consider the steps that could be taken to prepare for the end of the exemption.

“All parties have been aware from the start that this exemption was due to end in March 2025 and our dialogue with the emergency services to date indicates that, because of the progress made in the last four years, a limited number of vehicles will be impacted by this local exemption ending.

An Avon Fire & Rescue Service spokesperson said it is in negotiations with B&NES Council.

An Avon & Somerset Police spokesperson said: “We have been working closely with Bath and North East Somerset Council since the announcement of a Clean Air Zone in the city.

“Our fleet now includes more than 200 hybrid and electric vehicles operating within local communities. The CAZ focuses on vans and larger HGVs falling below the Euro 6 emission standard.

“Vans and HGVs only make up less than a quarter of our fleet, of which approximately 75 per cent are Euro 6 compliant and can therefore continue to access Bath with no impact.

“Only one non-compliant vehicle remains stationed in Bath, and its replacement will be on the road before the exemption ends.

“We therefore believe the impact of the CAZ exemption to in Bath will therefore be limited for our fleet.”

South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust have been asked to comment.