In a report for the board, the director of finance and governance, Cllr Vicky Ellen McGurk, and the director of place Martin Eden reported, ‘The council’s vehicle replacement programme has identified that a number of teams across the council have vehicles that are ageing and need replacing. There are also a number of hired vehicles on the council’s fleet which is not the most economical way of providing vehicles for the various services.’

Among the vehicles that will be replaced are two refuse collection vehicles that are almost nine years old, an 18 tonne road sweeper on hire, a van that is fifteen years old, and a mini-excavator.

The approximate cost for all of the new vehicles is estimated to be £1,261,000.

According to the report, the council will seek to lease the vehicles over a five-year period, at an estimated cost of £220,000 per annum. If this proves not to be the best option, the council would finance the vehicles through prudential borrowing.

The report also noted there would be extra costs to replace some of the vehicles with their electric equivalents.

‘The council has been set a target of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. In this report, there are plans to purchase eleven electric vehicles to help achieving the target,’ it said.

‘The additional capital cost in changing these vehicles from diesel to electric as opposed to changing like for like is approximately £121,000. As a result of these purchases, and subject to the chosen method of financing the acquisitions, there is estimated to be an additional revenue cost of £20,000 that will be met from existing portfolio budgets.’