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<\/p>\n“It’s quite stressful to receive a message from the council with very little to no empathy, and then quite happy to tell me I’m paying double what I thought I was paying.”<\/p>\n
04:00, 04 Jul 2026<\/p>\n
![\"Leanne](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0_IMG_2517jpeg.jpg\")
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Leanne Skidmore(Image: Leanne Skidmore)<\/p>\n
A Yorkshire woman has spoken of her horror after being hit by multiple fines after entering two clean air zones in city centres.<\/p>\n
Leanne Skidmore had spent several years working and living abroad before she moved back to the UK. The 35-year-old from Hemsworth<\/a> bought a car without realising it would be fined if it entered a clean air zone (CAZ).<\/p>\n While driving, she then entered into the CAZ in Sheffield<\/a> three times, as well as the one in Bradford<\/a> five times without realising. The first time she entered one was on May 14, but she did not receive the penalty charge notice (PCN) ordering her to pay a fine until June 3.<\/p>\n Leanne said: “I just wasn’t aware of the clean air zones, and I taxed my vehicle, insured it, everything else, but I didn’t know that this would happen. I wasn’t informed on how these things work in practice as well, that they’re automatically recorded and enforced after the fact.<\/p>\n “I just accumulated all these PCNs before I had any chance to correct my behaviour.”<\/p>\n As a result of the delay in the PCN arriving, Leanne stacked up even more before she had realised her mistake, for a total of eight PCNs. This has left her with a large fine to pay.<\/p>\n Leanne said she accepts responsibility for the mistake, and is willing to pay the fines. She appealed the PCNs in Sheffield and took it to a tribunal, who rejected her appeal.<\/p>\n However, they did understand the circumstances, and Sheffield City Council <\/a>offered Leanne a discount, which she gladly accepted. She also underwent the same process with Bradford Council<\/a>, but they were unwilling to make any accommodations.<\/p>\n After taking it to a tribunal, any right to a discount is gone, which means Leanne will now need to pay five \u00a3129 fines instead of \u00a369 fines, or \u00a3645 overall within 28 days. She said: “I asked for a payment plan explaining my circumstances, that I’d been out of work due to my health issues, and I’d recently started work, so if I could have a payment plan.<\/p>\n Get all the latest big and breaking Yorkshire news straight to your mobile via WhatsApp by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t like our community, you can leave any time. We also treat members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. Read our privacy notice here<\/a>.<\/p>\n “That is when they were like ‘no there’s no payment plans in place, and you need to pay the full amount’.”<\/p>\n “It’s just left me feeling overwhelmed in the sense that it is going to be challenging given my circumstances at the moment on getting that paid. It’s quite stressful to receive a message from the council with very little to no empathy, and then quite happy to tell me I’m paying double what I thought I was paying.”<\/p>\n The inconsistency in the approach of the two councils has left Leanne feeling the current system is unfair and difficult to navigate. For someone who is willing to pay, Leanne feels there should be some sort of help in place.<\/p>\n She said: “I can understand there’d be circumstances where people are trying to avoid these charges, I appreciate that eight is a lot, but I just genuinely did not know that this was the case. I think there should be something in place for someone like me.<\/p>\n “I’ve reacted straight away to all of this, as soon as I got the PCN I appealed straight away. I’m not trying to avoid anything, but I’ve experienced zero grace.”<\/p>\n Leanne hopes in future the system works to contact people sooner, and that cars should be more clearly marked to make sure people know they are not compliant with CAZs around the country. She said: “It’s not that I’m trying to get out of my responsibility, or that I’m trying to challenge clean air zones altogether. I just feel like there’s a lot of scope for improvement with the system that’s currently in place.”<\/p>\n A Bradford Council spokesperson said: “While we cannot comment on individual cases, we can provide the following general information.<\/p>\n “As with many traffic-related offences and charges, the registered keeper of a vehicle, as recorded by the DVLA, is legally responsible for ensuring any applicable charges are paid and for observing road signs when driving.<\/p>\n “There are more than 3,000 Clean Air Zone signs across the district. These signs are installed in line with national highway standards and are designed to clearly notify drivers when they are approaching or entering a Clean Air Zone where a charge may apply, depending on the vehicle’s type and emissions classification.<\/p>\n “The framework and guidance for Clean Air Zones were established nationally by central government and the DVLA. We strongly encourage drivers to check whether their vehicle is compliant before travelling by using the Government’s online vehicle checker at www.gov.uk\/clean-air-zones<\/a>.<\/p>\n “Charges can be paid up to six days before travel, on the day of travel, or up to six days after entering the zone.<\/p>\n “Anyone who is unsure about any aspect of the Clean Air Zone can contact our team on 01274 435533 for advice relating to their individual circumstances. We are always happy to help and provide factual guidance where we can.”<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_WhatsApp-Image-2024-02-06-at-105818jpeg.jpg\")
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