Mansfield District Council has invested in five more electric vans which are reducing carbon emissions and saving fuel costs.
A variety of council departments, including parks, street cleaning, and waste and recycling, are now using the authority's seven electric vehicles.
The adoption of electric vehicles for daily maintenance follows the council declaring a climate emergency in March 2019. It has since developed a climate change strategy and action plan to enable the council to meet its carbon-neutral target by 2040.
The introduction of greener vehicles also complements the ongoing work by the council to green up the town, from the creation of four new-build homes on Saundby Avenue, which achieved coveted Passivhaus accreditation for energy efficiency and ultra-low carbon emissions, to the planting of thousands of trees across the district in partnership with Sherwood Forest Trust.
Executive Mayor Andy Abrahams said: “The council is working towards its plan to transition to net zero carbon emissions by 2040, and while many of our front-line team members need to move around the district to deliver services to our residents, we are starting to do it in a much greener and cleaner way.
“This is proof we are backing up our Climate Change emergency declaration in 2019 with real action by building up our fleet of EVs while beginning the phasing out of petrol and diesel-fueled vehicles.”
These new vehicles will bring significant fuel savings to the council, with around £1,500 saved in diesel per small van and £3,000 for the larger vans. The smaller vans were also considerably cheaper to purchase than their diesel counterparts.
Urban greening works have also concluded around the district, with the newly opened Memorial Garden and Pocket Park now open in the town centre. Also, the council continues to support Severn Trent with the installation of various rain gardens and sustainable drainage systems across the district. The scheme is part of a £75 million pilot project to create a greener, cleaner Mansfield to help protect against flooding.
The council expects these vehicles to remain in service for 10 years.