Nottingham has secured £6.1m for the first 'Go Ultra Low Cities' scheme - set up by the Office for Low Emissions Vehicles (OLEV) - with the help ofCenex, the UK's first Centre of Excellence for low carbon technologies.

Other winning cities — London, Bristol and Milton Keynes — will also receive funding through the £35 million programme which was launched by Secretary of State Patrick McLoughlin MP at the University of Nottingham.

Twelve UK cities were bidding for a share of funds, which were awarded to those showing the greatest potential to take-up ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs). The Go Ultra Low cities can now expect to see thousands of new ULEVs on their roads over the next five years, improving air quality and helping to transform people's quality of life in their cities.

A further four city areas — Dundee, Oxford, York and the North East — will receive a share of £5m development funding for specific initiatives.

Cenex worked closely with Nottingham and its local partners to provide technical support and advice on their proposal.
Nottingham's bid painted a picture of a thriving and liveable area where air quality and environmental impacts from transport are minimised. With its world-class public transport network, the UK's first Workplace Parking Levy (WPL) and its newly launched plans for creating a Cycle City, Nottingham is already one of the UK's leading cities for integrated sustainable transport and energy generation.

Robert Evans, chief executive officer of Cenex, said, 'We are very pleased that Nottingham has been successful. It is refreshing to see continued investment from government at a national and local level to encourage the uptake of ULEVs while simultaneously tackling the issue of poor air quality.

'Tackling air quality has become a necessity to ensure the UK meets its targets and the deployment of more ULEVs is crucial to achieve this. We congratulate all four Go Ultra Low Cities who will no doubt be exemplars for electric vehicle deployment going forward.'

Nottingham City councillor with responsibility for the bid, Nick McDonald, said: 'Being successful with this £6.1 million award enables Nottingham to become a hub for low carbon, future-proofed transport.

'This funding will shape our vision to become the UK's greenest transport city, with effective, joined up and environmentally positive transport. Taken together with all the other bids we have submitted for ultra-low carbon funding, it is clear that we have unrivalled ambition to establish the UK's best sustainable transport offer for residents, visitors and the business community.'