Falling foul of clean air zones
I would like to relate our recent experience of sailing to France via Portsmouth ferry terminal, and warn other owners of 3.5-tonne-plus Vans of what awaits them if they stray too far from the nort
Last summer we finally set off for our holiday to France, having had to rebook twice due to Covid restrictions, heading for Caen on Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth. Arriving late at night after a long journey from Cheshire, I decided to refuel our motorhome at a Shell garage nearby and this proved to be a costly mistake.
Readers will no doubt be familiar with the location, leaving the M275, and turning right at the island to enter the terminal. However, we proceeded to the next roundabout to do a U-turn and buy fuel before parking up at the port for the night. In doing so we entered the Clean Air Zone (CAZ).
Our Auto-Trail Apache motorhome, Archie, isn’t the sveltest of conveyances, at 4.25 tonnes, and herein lies the problem. He is classed as an HGV and therefore subject to a £50 charge to enter the Portsmouth CAZ.
On returning from holiday, I was greeted with a letter from Portsmouth Council advising that we had entered the CAZ without paying the charge and, as such, were liable for this, plus a £120 fine, reduced to £60 if Daid within 28 days.
This I appealed, and the council generously’ waived the fine, but not the charge, which I duly paid.
Granted, I was sent many pictures of warning signs approaching Portsmouth, but my observation, and gripe with Portsmouth Council, is this. The CAZ charges only apply to commercial vehicles, HGVs, coaches, buses, taxis and private hire vehicles, not privately owned cars and vans. And yet, due to Archie being classed as an HGV, I was charged to drive a few hundred yards to the fuel station. This seems a very harsh surcharge for buying fuel, and a journey I won’t be making again, taking my custom elsewhere.
Previously, when we have caught the late-night ferry from Portsmouth, we have ventured into the town for the afternoon, visiting the docks, and having a meal, spending our hard-earned cash there.
I wonder if other motorhomers have had similar experiences, and what the outcome was. My advice is either to drive straight to the port, or trade down to a 3.5-tonne Van!
Andrew Coleman
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I was shocked to receive a £220 fine today from
