A new electric van is being trialled by Uttlesford District Council in a push to reduce carbon emissions.

The Renault Master E-Tech, which was unveiled at the Eco Market event in Saffron Walden on Saturday, June 10, will be used by the ground maintenance team - who carry out tasks such as grass and hedge cutting at the council's housing sites and communal areas.

The van will also be tested out by the council's street cleansing team, whose duties include litter picking and fly-tip clearance. The service is looking to move to electric vans when the current fleet is due for replacement in 2027/28.

Uttlesford District Council is also working with the Energy Savings Trust to develop a longer-term plan for decarbonising its whole fleet.

The 100 per cent electric vehicle offers up to 120 miles of driving and is estimated to cut 37.66 tonnes of CO2 over 60,000 miles compared to a standard deisel vehicle.

Cllr Neil Reeve, portfolio holder for environment and climate change, said: "We are committed to achieving net-zero carbon status by 2030 and continue with efforts to reduce pollution.

"Making the transition to cleaner transport models when we are able to do so is an important part in helping us to achieve those goals.

"The grounds maintenance team visit many locations across the district and this new electric vehicle will ensure they are able to travel around in a more environmentally-friendly way."

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Transport emissions make up a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing these is a priority of the council.

The council has installed a network of publicly accessible EV charging points to encourage take up of electric vehicles.

These are located in council car parks at London Road and the Common in Saffron Walden, as well as White Street and Chequers Lane car parks in Dunmow, and Crafton Green in Stansted.

Further work is planned in the form of various clean air and active travel schemes that are being piloted as part of the council's Saffron Walden Clean Air Project - which, if successful, could be rolled out to other parts of the district.