A new report into Greater Manchester's Clean Air Plan has outlined the next steps for the controversial proposals, and revealed it will begin charging drivers from next year.
The document published on Friday will be discussed by the combined authority this week, before being considered by the ten councils "as soon as possible" - by the summer.
The plans, which were put to an eight-week public consultation, would charge polluting drivers up to £60 a day, despite opposition from local businesses.
The new Clean Air Zone (CAZ), a plan that has been in the pipeline since 2016 in an attempt to clean up the region's air, is hoped to be launched in spring 2022.
It will target the most polluting commercial vehicles with a daily charge of £7.50 for private hire cars, £10 for vans and £60 for buses and lorries to travel anywhere in the conurbation.
Failure to pay the charge would result in a £120 fine plus the daily charge. The plans will effect an estimated 11,000 HGVs and 77,000 non-compliant vans, it is believed.
The report released on Friday also said the Government had agreed to consider extending the CAZ to the sections of the A628 and A57 that pass through the villages of Hollingworth and Mottram as a single carriageway.
Greater Manchester’s Green City Region lead, Councillor Andrew Western, said: “Poor air quality affects us all but particularly the most vulnerable members of our society, and we must act to clean up the air we all breathe.
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“Government asked us to continue to progress the CAZ proposals developed before the Covid-19 pandemic, and I’d like to thank everyone for the crucial feedback given during the consultation.
“We did see brief, short term improvements in air quality due to the pandemic, but as the economy opened again in the second half of 2020, road traffic levels grew quickly, almost reaching pre-pandemic levels by late 2020. Coupled with this, the economic uncertainty led to a significant reduction in the purchase of newer, cleaner vehicles.
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“So analysis has shown that the pandemic won’t lead to a big enough long-term reduction in harmful nitrogen dioxide air pollution on our local roads to meet legal limits without a CAZ."
If it begins in 2022 as proposed, it is anticipated the scheme would last at least four years until 2026 and then be scrapped if nitrous oxide levels have improved enough.
Political leaders including Mayor Andy Burnham have backed the plans as the best way to clean up Manchester's air.
They are also backed by a number of local campaign groups including Friends of the Earth Manchester.
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Air pollution, primarily caused by vehicles, is said to contribute to 1,200 deaths a year in Greater Manchester.
But many , arguing that the charge is a 'blunt instrument' that won't work.
The criticism has intensified in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic with claims that hard-hit businesses simply don't have the money to upgrade vehicles.
A final public consultation on the plans closed on December 3 with Mr Burnham encouraging 'feedback' so that the region could strengthen its case for £150m of funding.
Despite the introduction of a CAZ being a Government direction, it has so far committed only £41m.
Last year, government minister Rebecca Pow said “only the most polluting older vehicles are charged in a CAZ, and it is not a congestion charge”.
The combined authority says securing right level of government funding is “absolutely critical” to support local businesses and organisations before the government-mandated plan is introduced.
An independent research agency is now working to analyse and report the information gathered from the two consultations to help local authority decision makers make a fully informed decision on the final plans.
Business opposition
Local leaders from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), the CBI and the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce have previously made their feelings known about the scheme.
All three organisations signed a letter calling for the plans to be paused, arguing that the pandemic has 'changed everything'.
They say many firms have 'maxed out' their finances due to Covid-19 and will be unable to upgrade their vehicles.
They also note that similar plans for a CAZ in Leeds were scrapped when it emerged pollution levels have improved dramatically.
In their letter to Transport for Greater Manchester, they said they are not opposed to the plans in principle.
It said: "We fully recognise the impact that poor air quality has on people.
"Poor air quality needs addressing, we agree with that, as do our members.
"But many are uneasy that this is not the right time to be moving forward with this in its proposed structure and format."
They said that financial support is 'vital' and that it must come as quickly as possible before the CAZ comes into effect.
The £150m Greater Manchester is seeking to help operators upgrade or retrofit vehicles 'falls way short of what is realistically needed', they argue.
"The introduction of daily charging should be delayed to allow businesses adequate time to make changes to their vehicles recognising the extreme economic circumstances created by Covid-19. We suggest charging to be introduced no sooner than 2024," the business group adds.
Cllr Western added: “We absolutely recognise the importance of understanding what impact the pandemic has had on our air quality and businesses, so that these are reflected in the final plans and our ongoing discussions with government.
“In particular, we want to ensure that the best possible funding support is in place to help vehicle owners to make the change.
"It’s a very uncertain time for a lot of people, and getting the right level of funding to support local businesses and organisations before the CAZ is introduced is absolutely critical.
“There’s a lot of work to carry out in coming months to analyse and understand the information and evidence gathered. All of this will help inform the final plan and how we best ensure our residents are not exposed to the health threats caused by illegal levels of air pollution.”