Stroud District Council has approved a sum of £257,000 to fund a new fleet of low-carbon cars for its Community Services team.

Six electric vans and four hybrid Mitsubishi Outlanders will be rolled out next year upon retirement of the current “uneconomical” vehicles, of which half are diesel-powered.

The cars are used by the Neighbourhood Wardens, plus the post, waste and recycling teams.

Cllr Doina Cornell, said: “These vehicles will mean less road tax, fuel costs and service charges.”

Cllr Simon Pickering added, “This is a wise use of our council money, which will help us reach carbon neutral by 2030.”

The final savings figure is difficult to determine at this stage, but it is likely to be in excess of £5k per annum.