A LOCAL authority is set undertake a £1.3million programme of replacing ageing and hired vehicles.

Blackburn with Darwen Council's executive board on Thursday next week has been asked to sign off the upgrade of vans and lorries.

A report by Environment boss Cllr Jim Smith and his finance counterpart Cllr Vicky McGurk tells senior says: "The council’s vehicle replacement programme has identified that a number of teams across the council have vehicles that are ageing and need replacing.

"There are also a number of hired vehicles on the council’s fleet which is not the most economical way of providing vehicles for the various services.

"The refuse collection team has two vehicles that are almost nine years old and need replacing.

"The environment street cleansing team has an 18-tonne road sweeper on hire that needs replacing.

"The environment crime team has a van that is fifteen years old, that needs replacing and the team requires another vehicle for a new member of staff.

"The environment amenities team has a van, two small vans and a mini-excavator on hire that need replacing.

"The head of environment has six vans on hire utilised by the supervisors of the refuse collection, street cleansing and amenities teams. These need replacing by council-owned vehicles.

"The fleet management services team has a 7.5 tonne tipper that is fifteen years old that needs replacing.

"The highways team has two gritters that are 15 and 8 years old and need replacing.

"The digital transformation team has a hired vehicle that needs replacing.

"The public transport team have two wheel chair accessible vehicles that are 16 and 17 years old and need replacing

"It is recommended that Executive Board authorise the replacement of these old and hired vehicles, and the addition of £1.3m to the capital programme for this purpose.

"The council has been set a target of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. There are plans to purchase eleven electric vehicles to help achieving the target.

"The main concern in not replacing the two refuse collection vehicles would be reliability, which could result in a shortage of vehicles to complete the refuse, recycling and trade waste rounds.

"The concern in not replacing the other vehicles would be reliability."