Winsford Town Council Electric Vehicle
Winsford Town Council, Wyvern House, The Drumber, Winsford
Our Story
In September 2019, Winsford Town Council declared a Climate Emergency and identified a Climate Strategy for the town. This gave the Council a good basis for identifying initiatives and ideas designed to tackle the issue of climate change.
One such initiative identified by members related to the Council’s only vehicle, which is used to transport materials around the town and elsewhere; in getting staff to various places owned and managed by the council; and to assist in the holding of events, such as Remembrance Sunday.
The vehicle was leased, and was due to expire in February 2021. So Councillors asked that – rather than replace the existing diesel vehicle with the same, the Council, recognising its role as a community leader and keen to set a good example to others, looked at an electric replacement.
As a result, extensive work was done in exploring the market to see what options were available and what the climate and financial advantages were for the Town Council.
Following receipt of various quotes from different suppliers – including local suppliers – the Town Council selected Drive Electric as its preferred supplier as they were able to offer a suitable vehicle at an appropriate cost for the Council.
From this point onwards, the process was straightforward and the council was able to take possession of the new electric vehicle in September 2021.
The Challenge
As mentioned above, Winsford Town Council recognised the position faced by all areas in terms of climate change and declared a climate emergency in the town. It followed this declaration up by developing a Climate Strategy for Winsford which sets out the areas of focus for the Council’s climate interventions.
In terms of its own operations, the Council recognises that it is a smaller organisation with a limited list of assets. As a result, resources were limited and we looked to external funding options, including from Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Climate Emergency Fund. However, we were unsuccessful.
Despite this, putting an application together was extremely helpful exercise as it allowed the Council to put a business case together to support the move towards an electric vehicle.
It was vital to create a clear strategic position and to make sure we were clear as to why we were making that decision was just as important. Applying for external funding allowed us to form a business case for our plans, and asked us useful questions about how we were going to make our plans work from a financial perspective.
Our Solution
Replacing the diesel vehicle with the electric one acted as a ‘quick win’ for the council in helping achieve it’s wider climate ambitions. As a result, the Council noticed it was paying less on fuel bills, thus saving money for the Council, lower emissions and also achieving the same millage as the diesel vehicle.
Once the electric vehicle was obtained, the Council were able to sell the existing diesel vehicle to a third party at a modest profit which was useful in terms of the constant financial challenges faced by all local authorities.
As a result, the Peugeot electric van supplied to us by Drive Electric works excellently for the Council and its staff. They have responded very well to the introduction of the new van and the benefit for the town has been felt in terms of event management and also in terms of park management. As a zero-emission vehicle, we are reducing our own carbon emissions into the town.
This is just one of the steps taken by the Council in relation to tackling climate change. We are currently undertaking a project that will transform the Guildhall, which includes installing heat pumps and extensive insulation of the building to conserve energy use.