South Oxfordshire District Council to Invest £3.1m in New Diesel Refuse Vehicles

South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC), a local authority that recently adjusted its net zero objectives, is set to allocate £3.1 million for the acquisition of 17 new refuse vehicles powered by diesel. Last month, SODC revised its target for achieving carbon neutrality from 2025 to 2030 for its own operations, and for the wider district, the deadline was shifted from 2030 to 2045. According to documents made public on its website, the council cited a “restriction on the number of suitable charging points” at its depot as the reason for needing to purchase the diesel vehicles. These vehicles are scheduled for deployment in the South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse districts starting next year. SODC intends to utilize the depot until 2026. The council indicated that the operational range offered by electric 26-tonne refuse collection vehicles and clinical waste collection vehicles would not be adequate for its designated routes. Consequently, it plans to acquire 13 diesel-powered refuse collection vehicles and one diesel-powered clinical waste collection vehicle. Additionally, the authority will purchase an electric-powered cage tipper for a cost exceeding £81,000. A separate diesel cage tipper is also planned for acquisition, priced at £42,500. In October, David Rouane, the leader of SODC, stated that the authority had “led by example” in its efforts to reduce carbon emissions. He commented: “We set targets which were really challenging back in 2019 in order to change behaviour.” He added, “It’s about the district as a whole – we’re one business in the district and we’re doing our bit, but what matters is what happens within the district as a whole.”