Nottingham City Council has launched a scheme offering local businesses a grant of up to £25,000 to cut their transport emissions.

The Workplace Travel Service offers expert advice, fleet reviews and funding for businesses, public sector and voluntary organisations looking to invest in lower emission transport.

Councillor Sally Longford, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Services and Local Transport, said: “The council is working hard to improve air quality in the city, and transport emissions are a big part of the pollution problem. We’re keen to encourage and support employers to make the change to low emission vehicles.

“The City Council is already well on the way to converting 20 per cent of its fleet – 80 vehicles – to ULEVs before 2020. This engagement event is a great opportunity for businesses to hear from others who have discovered the benefits of EVs and other lower emission vehicles.

“We’re also excited to launch our Workplace Travel Service, which offers a £25,000 grant that could be used to install EV charge points at business premises, among other things, helping employers to achieve more environmentally-friendly travel and resulting in cleaner air for everyone.”

As part of its Go Ultra Low City status, Nottingham City Council, together with Derby City and Nottinghamshire County Councils, was awarded £6.1m in 2016 from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) to help support the uptake of electric vehicles, reducing pollution and improving air quality.

An important part of the Go Ultra Low project is to address misconceptions about electric cars and other low-emission vehicles, while creating an environment that supports increased use of greener technologies.

A number of other projects to support the uptake of Ultra Low Emission Vehicles are under way in the city, including installing 230 charge points across Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and Derby to support the growing number of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles on the roads.

Read more about the Nottingham City Council fleet scheme in the next edition of Fleet News.