New look vehicles save Derbyshire County Council cash

The county council's dashing range of new-look vehicles are expected to save the cash-strapped authority nearly £500,000 over the coming years.
The old look orange vehicleThe old look orange vehicle
The old look orange vehicle

Derbyshire County Council’s fleet currently consists of 483 vehicles, of which 440 are orange in colour.

Depending on type and what they are used for, vehicles typically last between five and ten years.

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Now when vehicles need replacing they will be white, saving between £1,000 and £2,000 per vehicle – adding up to a total saving of £455,000 over an eight-year vehicle replacement cycle.

The council’s 44 gritting and other emergency response vehicles will continue to be distinctive orange for visibility reasons.

At a cabinet meeting held at County Hall, in Matlock, last week, councillors were asked to set the wheels in motion to buy the new-colour vehicles by agreeing to set up a new deal.

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for highways, transport and infrastructure Councillor Dean Collins, said: ”We are facing unprecedented cuts.

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“By 2021 we’ll be spending a third less on providing services than we were before Government austerity cuts to local council funding began in 2010 which is why we have replaced very few council vehicles.

“Our previous contract for orange vehicles was cost effective but now it has finished we are going back out to the market to secure a new deal.

“We are looking to replace around 400 vehicles with an estimated value of £14.5m and by buying white vehicles in the future we will keep costs down.”

Vehicle manufacturers and other suppliers will be asked to bid for the work for an initial four year contract.

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Faced with the prospect of having to slash £70m from its budget between April 2016 and April 2018 due to Government austerity cuts, the county council has been looking at every available avenue to find extra cash.

By 2020, the funding the authority gets from central Government is expected to be more than a third less than in 2010.

Some of the measures already taken include cuts of up to £5.092m to housing-related support and the closure of four homes for older people, a small unit for people with learning disabilities and respite beds at a centre for older people, saving £1.372m.

For a full list of proposed budget cuts visit www.derbyshire.gov.uk