Reform scraps Kent County Council’s electric fleet plans

Reform’s leader of Kent County Council (KCC) has scrapped previous plans to transition its 349 fleet of vehicles to electric before 2030.

KKC’s leader, Linden Kemkaran, said the move would save £7.5 million by no longer switching to EVs and wider plans will save a further £32m over four years by cancelling its Net Zero Renewable Energy Programme for its property facilities.

A spokesman for KCC confirmed that the fleet had only transitioned a small number of vehicles so far, with just six electric vans on its outright owned fleet of 116 vehicles.

There were no EVs on the remaining 233 vehicles that are currently leased.

The move fits in with Reform’s wider commitment to “scrap net zero to cut bills and restore growth”.

The party’s policy document states: “Net zero is pushing up bills, damaging British industries like steel, and making us less secure.

“We can protect our environment with more tree planting, more recycling and less single use plastics.

“New technology will help, but we must not impoverish ourselves in pursuit of unaffordable, unachievable global CO2 targets.”

Reform took control of KCC in May’s local elections and ousted the Conservative majority which had been in place for nearly 30 years.

Kemkaran’s Department for Local Government Efficiency (DOLGE) was put in place to identify “millions of pounds worth of potential savings which can be redirected back into vital services”.

She said: “My team, with the help and support of our own Reform UK DOLGE team, has found these savings in just a few short weeks and they’ve done it while undergoing essential training, getting to grips with their new roles and generally finding their way around in a brand-new job.”

KCC had previously worked on its Low Carbon Kent REVs project to decarbonise vans and transport across the region.

Kent REVS encouraged businesses in 2021 to reduce their environmental impact by trialling an electric van.

More than 330 businesses in Kent and the South East took part in the trial.

Around 50 vans were made available for free in a scheme available to businesses, charities and public sector organisations in Kent and Medway who wished to try before they buy.

KCC secured £1.5m of National Highways funding for the project. The aim was for organisations to see the benefits and ease of owning and running an EV.

A spokesperson for KCC said further plans around projects like REVs or plans around how the council prepares for the 2030 ban deadline for petrol and diesel vehicles are still under review.