Clean Air Zone: Sheffield firm says it was forced to move locations due to policy
A Sheffield business has claimed that it is being forced to move out of the city centre due to the council’s Clean Air Zone policy.
Yorkshire Decorators Centre says it has lost customers and had a £50,000 fall in turnover since the scheme’s introduction in February 2023. It has been on Gibraltar Street for over two decades but will now set up in Darnall, outside the Clean Air Zone.
The zone, which covers most of the city centre, was introduced to reduce pollution. It imposes charges on commercial and high emissions vehicles including taxis, lorries and buses, but does not charge private vehicles.
Tony Gallagher, managing director of Yorkshire Decorators Centre, said: “We are a small family business and have been at this location close to Sheffield city centre for 22 years now, but the reality is that we can no longer afford to stay here and we certainly can’t afford to keep trading at a loss.
“Because so much of our business is with trade customers, they say they cannot carry the cost of bringing their vans within the zone, so have sought other suppliers.”
Coun Ben Miskell, chairman of Sheffield Council’s transport, regeneration and climate policy committee, said the council had seen a 70 per cent reduction in the highest polluting vehicle types in the city centre as a result of the scheme, and that 88 per cent of vans travelling in central Sheffield are now compliant with Clean Air Zone emission standards.
He added: “We are seeing more businesses move into the city centre than leave. This is creating more jobs and boosting our economy in the process.
“This is a positive sign that our regeneration plans are working. Consumer behaviour continues to change post pandemic and businesses like Yorkshire Decorating Centre will make their own commercial decisions about where to base themselves.
“We've been monitoring vehicle movements following the launch of the zone, and there hasn’t been a decline in the number of vans travelling within the zone.”
Mr Gallagher said that works around the city centre had also had a major impact on the business.
He said: “Parking in this area of the city is now almost impossible, while ongoing road works, centred around the continued redevelopment of the West Bar area and the creation of the Dutch-style roundabout just a few metres away from our door have left us marooned.
“The council says that it is creating a more pedestrian-friendly city, but footfall around Gibraltar Street is much lower than it used to be so we’re even losing out on passing trade. Some days we have so few customers now that we don’t even cover our staffing costs.”
Coun Miskell said the council had already seen several new businesses move into the West Bar area, and that it had seen “strong interest” in other aspects of the £300m scheme. He added: “The city centre is transforming, it’s changing into a cleaner, greener and more thriving place for people to live, work and enjoy.”