MICHAEL Gove has formally binned plans for scrappage scheme for ‘dirty’ diesels – just months after signalling motorists would get cash to ‘go green’.

In documents snuck out today, the Department for Environment said “we are not proposing to take forward a national scrappage scheme at this time”.

3 Michael Gove has formally binned plans for scrappage scheme for ‘dirty’ diesels Credit: Getty

Instead, Ministers will let councils bid for up to £220 million to clean up emissions in their patch.

The move comes just days ahead of a keynote speech on the environment by Mr Gove next week.

He is preparing to allow councils to slap a wave of new toxic taxes on motorists in busy towns and cities across the UK to bring NOx emissions back within legal limits.

The threat has wiped up to 40 per cent off the value of older diesels and vans.

3 Documents snuck out today see his department say we are not proposing to take forward a national scrappage scheme at this time Credit: EPA

Campaigners said the Government of penalising thousands of motorists who were encouraged to buy diesel in good faith to tackle CO2 emissions under the last Labour Government.

But Greenpeace accused the Government of a “tyre burning U-turn”.

Its UK clean air campaigner Morten Thaysen said: “This measure would have been a good opportunity to take polluting cars off our roads while helping drivers who bought dirty diesels on a false prospectus.

"Instead, ministers are once again passing the buck to local authorities."

3 Greenpeace accused the Government of a tyre burning U-turn on emissions Credit: PA

Theresa May last April vowed to protect diesel drivers from a nightmare of congestion charges, tax hikes and a crash in the value of their motors.

She said: “We will be producing a new air quality plan – we’ve been required to do that by the courts.

“But I’m very conscious of the fact that past governments have encouraged people to buy diesel cars and we need to take that into account.”

The Times last July reported that Mr Gove would announce a “targeted” scrappage scheme worth up to £250 million “within days”.

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Allies close to the Environment Secretary blamed the Chancellor for refusing to free up enough cash for a broader scheme.

Howard Cox co-founder of FairFuel UK stormed: “It’s beholdent on the Government to incentivise drivers with older polluting vehicles to move to cleaner fuels.

“Without a scrappage plan, low income motorists will be hit hardest with existing opportunistic pay to pollute policies.

“It’s critical this out of touch administration implement proven effective low emission solutions available now to help the already highest taxed motorists in the world from being demonised for policies of previous Governments.”

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In a document published today, the Government said a scrappage scheme would be “high costs and poor value”, and would see old cars replaced by new ones rather than reducing traffic.

Separately the Government announced a £220million ‘clean air fund’ with £11.7million set aside for 28 local authorities with the “biggest air quality challenges”.

Some £2.4million has also gone to a range of councils conducting green projects – from air quality feasibility studies to local research on the effects of wood burning stoves on emissions.