Latest news with #LowEmissionZone
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- General
- Glasgow Times
Have you spotted the 20 new Glasgow city centre trees?
The trees, funded through revenue from Low Emission Zone (LEZ) penalty charges, are part of Glasgow City Council's efforts to expand the urban canopy and improve environmental conditions in the area. Twenty large trees have been newly installed, and eight additional planters were moved from George Square to other locations while the square undergoes redevelopment. In total, 28 metal and stone planters are now in place across the city centre in locations including Trongate and outside the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA). Cllr Angus Millar, convener for city centre recovery, said: "These new urban trees are more than just a visual enhancement to our city centre – they represent our commitment to a greener, healthier, and more sustainable Glasgow. "By reinvesting Low Emission Zone penalty income into projects like this, we're not only improving the look and feel of our public spaces but also delivering real environmental benefits for our city centre and securing a positive legacy from our action to reduce air pollution." City centre tree planter on James Watt Street (Image: Glasgow City Council) Glasgow tree planter outside the GOMA (Image: Glasgow City Council) Read more: Prominent sports club bar and bistro in 'leafy West End' brought to market Major British institution with Glasgow branch to close more than 100 locations' Glasgow tree planter outside the Mercat (Image: Glasgow City Council) The planters feature a variety of trees, including birch, cherry blossom, and rowan. These trees are intended to improve the appearance of the city centre while also helping to address climate change. They do this by absorbing carbon dioxide, lowering air and surface temperatures, and filtering airborne pollutants. Other locations include Dundasvale Road, James Watt Street, Hope Street/Bothwell Street, the Mercat, Brunswick Street, Albion Street, Goosedubbs, Blythswood Square, and Dundas Lane.
Glasgow Times
10-07-2025
- General
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow residents encouraged to sponsor new street trees
This is part of a wider plan by the Glasgow City Council with the charity, Trees for Cities, to increase Glasgow's tree canopy. The Trees for Streets scheme allows people to choose where they would like a new tree to be planted in their neighbourhood on an online map. The city's Low Emission Zone penalty charge income, amounting to £85,000, is helping to partly fund this pilot scheme. Read more: Free dinosaur and fossil craft workshop for kids at Dobbies Glasgow Sponsors would contribute £350, while the remainder of the cost, which includes a site survey and the planting of a three to four-metre-high tree, will be covered by the LEZ penalty charge income. The council will arrange the planting of the tree between this autumn and next spring. Find out more about how the tree planting sponsorship scheme works by visiting Councillor Angus Millar, city convener for climate, believes the scheme will empower people to bring nature to their doorstep and help mitigate the effects of climate change. He said: "Tree planting is an ongoing priority for the council and this partnership with Trees for Streets will complement our wider greening programme across Glasgow. "By sponsoring a street tree, you'll be helping to create greener neighbourhoods and play a part in the city's response to the climate crisis. "We also welcome sponsorship from businesses who are looking to create a lasting impact in their local communities. "Support is also available from Trees for Streets to organise a crowdfunding campaign to green an entire street. "Sponsoring a street tree is a great way to make our neighbourhoods greener, more pleasant places to live, and can create a real sense of neighbourhood connection. 'This latest venture continues to ensure that penalties collected through the city's Low Emission Zone are poured back into local communities. "Combined with £732,000 already committed to community-led environment projects and a further £165,000 to green the city centre with tree planters, almost £1million of LEZ income is being invested into Glasgow, meaning we can deliver both cleaner air and greener streets in the city centre and beyond." Carrie Hume, project director at Trees for Streets, said: "Trees breathe life into streets. "They simply transform neighbourhoods, making places more beautiful whilst helping people shelter from the sun and have real connections with nature on their doorstep. "We are pleased to be working with Glasgow City Council supported by funds from the LEZ scheme to bring the national street tree sponsorship scheme into the streets of Glasgow and so aid their ambition for more trees across Glasgow." The scheme aims to plant more than 250,000 street trees nationwide over the next 10 years. It was co-founded by Start with Local and Trees for Cities and is funded by the People's Postcode Lottery, the Green Recovery Challenge Fund, and City Bridge Trust.
The Herald Scotland
10-07-2025
- General
- The Herald Scotland
Glasgow LEZ funds to go towards tree planting in city neighbourhoods
The LEZ penalties will part-fund the pilot scheme with £85,000 of the money raised going towards making urban area a greener and more vibrant place. Residents can use the Trees for Streets online platform and it allows them to drop a pin onto a map to indicate where in their neighbourhood they would like a new street tree to be planted. It is then assessed by the charity who look at various factors before deciding if it is the right place. The sponsor will donate £350 with the remaining cost covered by LEZ penalty charge income. Cllr Angus Millar, City Convener for Climate, believes that the pilot sponsorship scheme will empower and inspire people to bring nature to their doorstep and help mitigate the effects of climate change. Read More He said: 'Tree planting is an ongoing priority for the council and this partnership with Trees for Streets will complement our wider greening programme across Glasgow. By sponsoring a street tree, you'll be helping to create greener neighbourhoods and play a part in the city's response to the climate crisis. 'Using the Trees for Streets' interactive map, residents can choose to sponsor a new street tree near their home or in the wider neighbourhood. We also welcome sponsorship from businesses who are looking to create a lasting impact in their local communities. Support is also available from Trees for Streets to organise a crowdfunding campaign to green an entire street. 'Sponsoring a street tree is a great way to make our neighbourhoods greener, more pleasant places to live and can create a real sense of neighbourhood connection. I would urge residents and businesses to look at this new scheme and consider planting a tree in a place that's important to them. 'We also know that more trees can help mitigate weather extremes by absorbing pollution and capturing carbon, as well as providing shelter and habitats for birds, pollinators and other wildlife. 'This latest venture continues to ensure that penalties collected through the city's Low Emission Zone are poured back into local communities. Combined with £732,000 already committed to community-led environment projects and a further £165,000 to green the city centre with tree planters, almost £1million of LEZ income is being invested into Glasgow, meaning we can deliver both cleaner air and greener streets in the city centre and beyond." Carrie Hume, Project Director, Trees for Streets said: 'Trees breathe life into streets. They simply transform neighbourhoods, making places more beautiful whilst helping people shelter from the sun and have real connections with nature on their doorstep. 'We are pleased to be working with Glasgow City Council supported by funds from the LEZ scheme to bring the national street tree sponsorship scheme into the streets of Glasgow and so aid their ambition for more trees across Glasgow. We look forward to empowering communities and businesses to bring about new investment in their streets.'
Scotsman
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scotsman
Why are heavily polluting buses still allowed on city streets
Old cars can't come into the city without paying for the privilege under the low emission zone, but commercial vintage buses face no similar restrictions Low Emission Zone signs in place with six months to go Official road signs are being installed on the boundary of Edinburgh's Low Emission Zone (LEZ), with six months until enforcement begins. The signs, which are being used in the four Scottish cities with city centre LEZs, will inform drivers they are driving within the zone. In Edinburgh, additional '˜warning signs' will tell drivers that Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) will not be issued until 1 June 2024 and only to the most polluting vehicles. On Wednesday, Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Scott Arthur met contractors installing some of the first signs and urged drivers to prepare for the changes coming into force from 1 June 2024. Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: While enforcement against non-compliant vehicles won't begin until 1 June 2024, these signs are a reminder that the changes will soon come into force. By allowing a two-year grace period we wanted to give people plenty of time to prepare for the LEZ. However, with six months to go there's still time, and I'd urge anyone who's eligible to apply for the support finds on offer. Essentially, reducing the most polluting vehicles from the city will benefit everyone. Air pollution harms both our physical and mental health, so the LEZ we will help create a healthier place for everyone, reducing inequalities and making the city centre a more welcoming place. Dona Milne, Director of Public Health, NHS Lothian, added: Reducing air pollution has clear long and short-term health benefits for everyone. Our hope is that improved air quality will also encourage people to take advantage of more sustainable and active ways of travel, such as walking, cycling and public transport, which is beneficial for individuals and communities alike. Some households and small businesses One of the things I find difficult to understand in a city with low emission zones is why we allow some of the most heavily polluting vehicles onto our city centre. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... There's been a huge debate about the low emissions zones, and everyone had the opportunity to have their say after which the proposals were implemented. Clean air hasn't happened overnight. I well remember a friend telling me about a car trip with his mum and dad back to his home just off Leith Walk in 1950s Edinburgh. Such was the pollution in those days that his mum had to open the door to check where the pavement was, so that they could park safely. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad We're much better placed these days. Indeed, Edinburgh hasn't just dumped the 'Old Reekie' tag, our air quality has been completely transformed. In November a survey by Autotrader concluded that Edinburgh had the cleanest air of any city in the UK. Old cars can't come into the city without paying for the privilege, but commercial vintage buses face no similar restrictions. I understand why we would want to make vintage cars exempt. After all an occasional day trip by someone in a vintage car is neither here nor there, and they're lovely to see occasionally. However, tour buses are commercial enterprises, and they run seven days a week in the city, so the environmental impact won't be negligible. There are plenty of modern buses on the market that have very efficient engines and there are now plenty of electric buses on the market too. There are plenty of buses that have been converted, so that could happen too. We all want to see more jobs and benefits from Edinburgh being such a successful tourism destination. But we all want to breathe cleaner air at the same time. We all want to preserve our historic buses and perhaps a historic bus tour should be like a steam train trip, one of those rare treats to be savoured. Surely, it's time that all commercial tour buses in the city centre operate by the same rules? Donald Anderson is Director, Playfair Scotland
Edinburgh Reporter
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Edinburgh Reporter
The costs of the Lord Provost's two new cars
There are two new cars at the City Chambers for use by the Lord Provost, the Depute Lord Provost and also by visiting royalty. The cars which are driven and maintained by city officers, have been purchased to replace two 11-year-old vehicles. The cost of £64,620 per vehicle, is lower than the budget in the approved replacement programme for fleet set out in November when the council agreed to spend £56.8m of capital investment on new vehicles. Some of this expenditure was required due to the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) in the city centre, with all vehicles (with just a few exemptions) required to comply with emission standards. The council said the intention is to retain the cars for a period of 10 years so as to achieve maximum benefit from the expenditure. Civic Regalia The council also said that due to considerations of security, reliability, and cost, civic cars are the most suitable mode of transportation, throughout the year for the Lord Provost, Cllr Robert Aldridge, who wears the 18 carat gold and diamond civic regalia on official business. He is often accompanied by the Provost Consort. The chain made by Messrs Brook and Son on George Street is 46 inches long, and weighs between 40 and 50 ounces. It is decorated with 470 brilliant and 22 rose diamonds. Transportation expenses are also included in monies already approved by the Council in its budget. In 2024/25, the Office of the Lord Provost conducted 639 engagements which is made up of 413 civic events and 226 routine business meetings. The Lord Provost's registration plates are SO 1 and SO 10 and these are in the process of being transferred to the new vehicles. The Green group on the council have in the past called for such assets to be sold, with the value of the plates estimated at around £500,000 each. The last time the sale of such assets was discussed, the disposal was again not approved with City Centre councillor, Jo Mowat saying in autumn 2024: 'This is not a man wandering around the city in a necklace. This is the Lord Provost wearing the chain of office, representing our city. 'We demean the role if we regard it in other ways. 'These are chains of office that belong to the city and they link us back to our past. They are part of the visible thread that connects us back through the 900 years and the history of this council.' The Lord Provost has two new cars – which will bear the official registration numbers when these are transferred The Rt Hon Lord Provost conducting the judging at the Edinburgh Taxi Outing PHOTO Alan Simpson Like this: Like Related
