BRADFORD Council will begin replacing its fleet of large diesel vehicles with greener gas powered vehicles in 2021 - Councillors have been told.

While much of the Council's fleet is likely to switch from petrol to electric in the coming years, larger vehicles will soon be powered by compressed gas.

And at the most recent meeting of Bradford Council's Corporate Scrutiny Committee members were told that it was hoped that these gas powered vehicles would arrive in Bradford in late 2021.

The Committee was discussing plans to create a new "advanced fuel centre" at the Council's Bowling Back Lane waste site. The site would tap into the existing gas network to create a fuelling station for the new green vehicle fleet.

As well as being a fuelling station for Council vehicles, the committee was told that the site would be open to other businesses with gas powered vehicles. Up to 150 vehicles a day could re-fuel the site when it was up and running.

The site is part of the Council's Clean Air Zone plan. In 2018 the Government ordered Bradford Council improve air quality in the district as it had reached illegal levels.

Clean air zone plan hailed as 'momentous' step in improving Bradford's health

The Clean Air Zone, which will be introduced in 2022, will see the the most polluting commercial vehicles, including HGVs and buses but not private cars, charged each time they entre the zone. Vehicles that have engines that are Euro 6 and above, or which are powered by alternative fuels, will not be charged, and businesses will be offered grants to upgrade their vehicles.

The fuel centre plans went to the committee because the contract to set up the site will cost more than £2 million.

Earlier this year the Council was awarded OfGem National Innovation Competition funding of up to £770,000 to develop a compressed gas refuelling facility at Bowling Back Lane by providing access to the high pressure gas network there.

Committee members said 77 of the Council's heaviest diesel vehicles would to compressed gas over a seven year replacement cycle beginning in late 2021.

Andrew Whittles, Programme Manager, said a recent survey of businesses in the area found that 58 per cent would likely use such a refuelling centre.

He told members that the gas used to power these vehicles were roughly half the cost of diesel.

Mr Whittles added: "It will lead to savings for the Council, and revenue from the sale of gas to third party operators.

"The timeline will be challenging. We have to have it operational by the start of 2022. The gas vehicles are expected to arrive towards the end of next year."

An operator will be appointed to run the site, and the Council will share any profits with them. The centre could provide up to 3.7 million kilogrammes of gas a year.

Yorkshire Water had expressed interest it fuelling 49 vehicles at the site, and Northern Gas Network have committed to fuelling 15 of their vehicles at the site.

Councillor Dave Green (Lab, Wibsey) pointed out that the Council would need to be changing its vehicle fleet in the coming years anyway. He said: "I believe this is a good scheme in terms of sustainability, climate change and financially."

But he criticised the fact that Mr Whittles' report did not include a fully costed business case.

Mr Whittles told members that the nearest planned advanced fuel centre was in Castleford.

Councillor Paul Sullivan (Cons, Bingley Rural), questioned the location of the site, saying it would make more sense to locate the fuelling centre near the M606, at the Council's proposed park at ride. He said: "If we're going to have people coming from far and wide to buy our product than this is a far better place for it."

Mr Whittles said most of the Council's large vehicle fleet already visited Bowling Back Lane on a regular basis, and the gas transmission system at that site make it the ideal location.

Councillor Rosie Watson (Lab, Wyke) pointed out that the area around the proposed park and ride site was a former landfill, with high levels of methane. Building a compressed gas station on the site would be problematic, she claimed.

The committee supported the plans, but said future reports should include more financial information for the scheme.