The job of keeping two Oxfordshire locations clean will be taken on by new electric street sweepers.

Keeping the streets of Carterton and Woodstock tidy will be greener following the purchase of the Green Machine Ze500 sweepers by West Oxfordshire District Council.

They will be used to clear road gutters and cleanse pavements as well as other pedestrianised areas.

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The council says they could save over 19,000 kg CO2 per annum, the equivalent of saving 70,000 miles being driven in an average petrol car.

Councillor Lidia Arciszewska, executive member for environment at West Oxfordshire District Council, said: “With taking action on the climate emergency a top council priority, we are constantly looking at how we can improve the services we deliver so that they provide the greatest environmental outcomes while balancing best value for our residents.

“Transport, largely linked to the delivery of our waste and recycling services, street cleansing and grounds maintenance contracts, accounts for over 40 per cent of council emissions so this is an area where there is huge potential to make significant gains in cutting our carbon footprint.

“As part of addressing this we have already invested in a larger electric sweeper as well as three electric work vans and we will continue to work with Ubico to explore further opportunities to reduce our fleet emissions and to improve local air quality where we can.”

The sweepers are part-funded through the council's New Initiatives Fund, which supports the delivery of high-priority projects

The vehicles will be used by Ubico to support the street cleansing functions it carries out on behalf of the council.