Council set to replace 66 petrol and diesel vehicles with electric models to combat climate change

Barnsley Council aims to combat climate change with the move.

Cabinet members are set to rubber-stamp plans to replace 66 vehicles at a cost of more than £2m at their next meeting on April 21.

As well as the council vehicles, officers have recommended that the council approve £500,000 for 20 vehicles for the school transport service, to bring 63 routes back under council control.

This would save the council £80,219 over the 2022,23 financial year.

If approved, the cash will be available for the council to replace all their fully petrol and diesel vehicles with ultra low emission vehicles.

The plans include £75,000 for the mayoral car, and £264,000 for a vehicle for facilities management

The majority of the cash – £1,391,000 – will be spent on upgrading Berneslai Homes’ vans, and officers say one of the “challenges” will be installing chargers for staff, as they take their vehicle home.

Officers say the move will reduction the borough’s carbon emissions, be cheaper to run and maintain, and be safer.