HDV Grants customer guidance notes

Thank you for showing an interest in the Clean Air Zone Heavy Duty Vehicle (HDV) grants scheme.

To assist you the following notes are to explain the application process.

Please find a sample copy of the grant terms and conditions here (PDF)

We recommend that you read and understand the terms and conditions of this scheme.

The purpose of the Clean Air Zone HDV grant is for the replacement or fitment of CVRAS approved retrofit technology of a Heavy Duty Vehicle operating in Bradford which is not compliant with the Bradford Clean Air Zone standards. A replacement vehicle or retrofitted vehicle must be compliant with the Bradford Clean Air Zone standard.

By Heavy Duty Vehicle, we mean either:

Coaches

• M3 class vehicles used for the carriage of passengers, comprising more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat, and having a maximum weight exceeding 5000kg

Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs)

• N2 class vehicles used for the carriage of goods and having a maximum mass exceeding 3500kg but not exceeding 12000kg.
• N3 class vehicles used for the carriage of goods and having a maximum mass exceeding 12000kg.

For clarity, where this information guide refers to the Clean Air Zone vehicle standard, for HDVs, the standard is that the vehicle must be either Euro 6 diesel, Euro 4 petrol, Euro 4 petrol/LPG conversion, Euro 4 petrol/hybrid, fully electric or hydrogen fuel.

The HDV grant application process

There is a very limited number of grants available. Applications will be considered strictly in the date/time order in which the applications are received. Supporting evidence will be required to assess your eligibility for a grant, (full details are further down this page).

Due to the limited numbers of grants available we recommend that where you do not have all the evidence required immediately available, you submit the application straightaway. Any missing evidence can be supplied later.

Each application is for a grant to replace/upgrade one vehicle only.

Where an applicant wishes to apply for more than one vehicle, a separate application will be needed for each vehicle.

The evidence required for the assessment of your application will be

For your non-compliant vehicle:

• First three pages of the vehicle V5c document (also known as the logbook)
• Vehicle insurance which shows that the vehicle is insured by the business and covers business use

For the applicant:

• Proof of business entity: this can be one of either
• latest certified accounts
• last month company bank statement
• letter from an accountant
• Where a person is applying on behalf of a business, one form of ID is required. This could be a passport or driving license. Other documents can be considered where the applicant has neither document.

The assessment process

On receipt of an application, we will check that all information has been received to make an initial decision about your eligibility for a grant. Where more evidence/information is needed, we will request this by email.

If you are eligible but there are no grant funds still available, we will email you to advise that you are being held in a queue.

If you are eligible and there are funds available, we will email you with an agreement in principle. The agreement in principle will advise that you are eligible for a grant of up to £16,000 subject to certain conditions.

These conditions are:

• For the purchase of retrofit upgrades to an existing vehicle
• The retrofit solution is CVRAS approved
• The business/person fitting the retrofit solution is also CVRAS approved
• The work is certified and registered with CVRAS and the DVLA
• The vehicle is compliant with the Bradford Clean Air Zone vehicle standards

• For the purchase or long term lease, (minimum 2 years remaining), of replacement vehicles
• Any replacement vehicle is a ‘like for like’ replacement for the original vehicle. i.e. an N2 class HGV can only be replaced with another N2 class HGV and a M3 class Coach must be replaced with another M3 class Coach.
• The replacement vehicle must be compliant with the Bradford Clean Air Zone vehicle standards.

Please note: The DVLA Clean Air Zone vehicle checker will indicate if a vehicle is currently chargeable when travelling within the Bradford Clean Air Zone. This tool can be used as a guide however this is not a guarantee of vehicle compliance and therefore the applicant should consider all options to ensure that the vehicle being considered does meet the Bradford Clean Air Zone vehicle standard.

The responsibility for ensuring that a replacement vehicle is compliant with the Bradford Clean Air Zone vehicle standard lies solely with the applicant. Failure to purchase/lease a vehicle which is of the correct standard will mean that you will not be eligible for a grant.

Once an agreement in principle has been sent to an applicant, the applicant must provide one of the following within 3 months of the date the agreement in principle has been sent:

Proof of purchase of a compliant vehicle or CVRAS approved retrofit upgrade

OR

Proof of long-term lease (minimum 2 years remaining) of a compliant vehicle

OR

Proof of order from the supplier, with an expected date of delivery of a compliant vehicle or CVRAS approved retrofit upgrade.

This 3 month’ deadline cannot be extended in any circumstances. If you are unable to provide either of the above within this timescale the agreement in principle will be withdrawn and you will not be eligible for a grant.

On receipt of proof of order or purchase

Where proof of a purchase has been received, you will also be required to provide the following:

• A copy of the first three pages of the V5c for the compliant vehicle.
• Proof that the original non-compliant vehicle is no longer owned by the applicant.

Payment of the grant

On receipt of the above documents you will be sent the full grant terms and conditions which must be signed and returned.

Once the signed terms and conditions have been returned, the grant will be paid by bank transfer to your nominated bank account.

Please be aware that the grant can only cover the basic cost of a vehicle net of VAT and other extras such as extended warranties, vehicle livery. Where the original vehicle has been part-exchanged, the value of the part exchange will also be deducted.

Example 1

Example 2

Please note, it is not compulsory to trade in the previous vehicle as part of the purchase of a replacement.

After the grant has been awarded

For 2 years following the date of the Grant Agreement:

• The Grant Recipient must retain ownership of the compliant vehicle
• The Grant Recipient and compliant vehicle must remain registered to an address within the Bradford District.
• The compliant vehicle must be maintained to ensure the vehicle continues to meet Clean Air Zone emissions standards.
• The Grant Recipient agrees to provide evidence of compliance where requested.

The Grant Recipient must inform the Bradford Council Representative immediately of any change which would cause a breach of the terms and conditions

A sample of the full Clean Air Zone HDV grant terms and conditions are available here (PDF)