Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone (CAZ) signage

Government has instructed many local authorities across the UK to take quick action to reduce harmful Nitrogen Dioxide ("NO2") levels following the Secretary of State issuing a direction under the Environment Act 1995 to undertake feasibility studies to identify measures for reducing NO2 concentrations to within legal limit values in the ‘shortest possible time’. In Greater Manchester, the 10 local authorities, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority ("GMCA") and Transport for Greater Manchester ("TfGM") are working together to develop a Clean Air Plan to tackle NO2 Exceedances at the Roadside.

TfGM procured a GM CAZ Signage Agreement which shall enable the operation of a category C Charging Clean Air Zone ("GM CAZ") within the administrative boundary of the 10 Greater Manchester local Authorities, excluding the Strategic Road Network ("SRN"). The GM CAZ will apply to vehicles whose movement is detected within the zone and charges will be applied to certain categories of non-compliant vehicle not covered by an exemption as defined within the Clean Air Zone Framework and GM’s Clean Air Policy, the latter being subject to consultation. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/s… ↗)

GM anticipates that once implemented the GM CAZ will remain in full operation until at least the second half of 2026. If it is demonstrated by the second half of 2026 that two consecutive years’ of compliance with legal limit value for NO2 and there is confidence that compliance will continue to be maintained then the GM authorities can together seek the agreement of the Secretary of State to suspend the charging scheme order and commence the decommissioning of the GM CAZ.

The procurement enabled the GM CAZ Scheme to secure a contract for works and services, namely the manufacture, supply, installation, operation, maintenance, repair, replacement, and (at TfGM's option) decommissioning, of circa 2,350 signs across Greater Manchester to inform the public of the presence and boundaries of the GM CAZ Scheme. TfGM reserved the right to require the Supplier to manufacture and install additional signs throughout the term. The decommissioning element of the Signage Agreement is entirely at TfGM's option and TfGM reserves the right at its absolute discretion whether or not to instruct the Supplier to carry out such works at the appropriate time.

This procurement covered all roads in Greater Manchester, except for motorways and some major trunk roads, which were outside the scope of the procurement.

The requirements of the Signage Agreement includes all boundary signage, internal repeater signs and advanced warning signs on local roads within the ten Local Authorities of Greater Manchester and the eight neighbouring Authorities.

The basic design and the roundel for the GM CAZ Scheme traffic signs have been specified centrally by the Joint Air Quality Unit ("JAQU"), working closely with the signage team of the Department for Transport. Greater Manchester-specific input has been provided by TfGM and the GMLAs.

Further detailed design and specification for the required signage was developed by TfGM's consultant team of civil engineers and designers.

The procurement secured a single Supplier to provide an end-to-end service, from the manufacture, supply, implementation and maintenance, through to the possible decommissioning, of the road signs, although sub-contractors may be utilised for the delivery of elements of the Signage Agreement.