Could a low emission zone be on the cards for Stirling in future?

Low emission zones have been rolled out across Scotland in recent years.

The country’s four biggest cities, Dundee, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow, have all implemented a low emission zone (LEZ) system.

Vehicles that fail to meet certain criteria are banned from these zones, in a bid to combat air pollution.

Could Stirling bring in its own LEZ in future? We’ve taken a look at the likelihood of it happening.

How do low emission zones work?

The purpose of LEZs is to reduce levels of harmful vehicle emissions and improve air quality.

Zones operate 24/7 using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.

Prohibited vehicles include certain diesel cars and vans.

Typically, this means vehicles registered before 2015, and most petrol vehicles older than 2006.

Buses, coaches and HGVs registered from 2013 are allowed access, as are motorcycles and mopeds.

Drivers who break the rules by entering a low emission zone with a non-compliant vehicle face fines of £60.

If paid within two weeks, the fine halves. But, if the same vehicle re-enters the LEZ, it doubles.

In Dundee, one motorist was fined more than 120 times in the first six months of the city’s LEZ coming into force.

The rates are capped at £480 for cars and light goods vehicles, and £960 for minibuses, buses, coaches and HGVs.

Could Stirling bring in a low emission zone?

Stirling Council is not looking to bring in a low emission zone at the moment.

A spokesperson told The Courier: “There are no current plans to introduce a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) for Stirling City Centre.”

The local authority also has no current air quality management areas, meaning all of Stirling meets national air quality objectives.

In the 2024 air quality annual progress report for Stirling Council, no exceedances of the relevant air quality objectives were recorded.

In this instance, air quality was measured at the Craigs Roundabout.

In comparison, all Scottish cities with existing low emission zones, as well as Perth, Inverness and Lanarkshire, are trying to boost the air quality of key local areas.

Stirling Council is working in other ways to reduce pollution, such as by promoting active travel and electric vehicle use.

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