It is always great to start the new year off with a good news story, especially one that benefits the planet.

I am pleased to report that we are starting 2020 as we mean to go on by boosting our green credentials in adding four new fully electric vehicles to our overall fleet.

The vans will be used by our housing repairs team and mark the start of the council’s wider vehicle replacement programme which aims to replace the authority’s 321-strong petrol or diesel fleet over the next 10 years.

Our aim is to step up our phasing out of traditional fossil fuelled vehicles replacing them with hybrid or fully electric models.

Next year we hope to add a further 30 electric vans to the fleet, subject to final budget approval.

We estimate that each van will save the council £1,700 a year in fuel costs, maintenance and excise duty and, while cost saving is extremely important to us, it is the environmental benefits which are the real drivers.

The new vehicles will reduce carbon emissions by 448,000 grams per vehicle each year.

But wouldn’t it be great to have an entirely emission-free fleet?

It is certainly something we will be striving to achieve as quickly as we can.

I must thank my cabinet colleague, councillor Maureen Penny, for her drive and determination in getting this programme off the ground.

It is one of a number of projects which are currently being delivered which are aimed at tackling the climate crisis.

My fellow cabinet colleague, councillor Gary Sumner, has also been working hard with our planning officers to implement a new planning policy to ensure housebuilders install at least one vehicle electric charging points in new homes that are built in the borough.

This is also a clear signal of our intent to improve air quality in our neighbourhoods in the years to come.

New retail and business parks will also have to install a certain number of electric vehicle charging points to make it even more convenient for people to own electric or hybrid vehicles.

These new policies are in line with the National Planning Policy Framework which states that new development should be designed so they enable charging of plug-in and other ultra-low emission vehicles in convenient locations.

Our wholly-owned subsidiary Public Power Solutions also installed new electric fast charging points here at the Civic Offices.

The four charging points are situated at two different locations, two next to the steps of the Civic Offices and two at the side of Wat Tyler House, off Beckhampton Street.

These are available for members of the public to use, so if you are the owner of an electric vehicle and you want to charge your car while doing your shopping then feel free to top up while you shop.