Worcester City Council has bought its first set of electric grounds maintenance equipment as part of a continuing drive to reduce carbon emissions from its daily work to keep the city looking beautiful.
The new electric gear includes hedge-trimmers and grass strimmers, all powered by batteries which the council workers wear strapped to their backs. It replaces old petrol-driven equipment that had come to the end of its life.
The electrically-powered kit enables the City Council's street scene team to cut the grass, tidy the hedges and manage trees across Worcester just as effectively as the old equipment, but with a smaller environmental impact.
Councillor Andy Stafford, Chair of the City Council's Environment Committee, joined the street scene team to try out the new equipment in St Peter's.
He said: "It does the job really well and reduces the amount of CO2 emissions as we carry out our work keeping Worcester clean and tidy.
"This equipment is much lighter, thanks to the Ghostbusters-style battery pack strapped to your back, replacing the old heavy fuel tank. It's also better for staff because it vibrates less, and is much quieter, which is good news for residents."
Introducing the new electrical grounds maintenance equipment is in line with the City Council's environmental sustainability action plan, which sets out steps for Worcester to become carbon neutral by 2030.
The Council is working with the Worcester Environmental Group to reduce the frequency of grass verge cutting at some locations in the city and introducing new techniques to encourage more wildflowers to grow.
