Greener services have given the green light
Almost £ 3 million will be invested in new electric vehicles and charging stations after Lancashire County Council gave the go-ahead for a cleaner, greener future.
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The first service to go electric will be the District Council’s parking monitoring team, which will be equipped with 12 new vehicles to minimize the emissions generated during the many miles they travel each day.
This follows experiments led by the council’s fleet service team to find out which service areas are best suited for the introduction of electric vehicles.
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They recently received three electric vans that are being “loaned” to other teams across the agency as part of an ongoing pilot project.
Following the cabinet decision this week, the installation of a charging infrastructure in the offices and depots in which the vehicles are stationed and which they visit regularly will also begin.
District Councilor Shaun Turner, Cabinet Councilor on Environment and Climate Change, said, “We are committed to net zero carbon emissions from the services of the council, and the adoption of electric and other zero-emission vehicles will play a major role in this.
“Our fleet services team has been researching where we could use electric vehicles to provide services for some time, and while previous models had too many limitations, there are now many more options on the market that can range in particular from fees.
“As our current parking enforcement contract is expiring, this team will be in-house from September and give us the opportunity to equip them with electric vehicles to reduce emissions when driving through the county.
“With investments in the charging infrastructure of our depots and offices to support them, we are also well positioned to expand the use of electric vehicles in the future.”
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The cabinet report outlined that the council’s highway service is expected to be an early electric vehicle launch and that highway depots are being considered as the next area for charging point installation.
District Councilor Charlie Edwards, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said, “Since the work of our highway teams naturally involves a lot of travel, we will look carefully at how they can best use electric vehicles to reduce the environmental impact of their work.
“Our site maintenance team also tests battery-operated devices such as hedge trimmers, brush cutters and chainsaws. Today they use hedge trimmers on a daily basis, more battery-powered machines are to follow, which are better for both the operator and the environment. “
The cabinet decision provides for a budget of £ 1.98 million for investments in electric vehicles and a further £ 1 million for the installation of charging infrastructure.
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