Scrap 'executive cars' call for mayor and councillors

Calls for Sunderland City Council to scrap ‘executive cars’ for the Mayor and senior councillors have been voted down at a council meeting.

The opposition Conservative Group launched a motion on the issue earlier this week, looking at the “environmental impact of council cars”.

Following the cancellation of the Sunderland Airshow for environmental reasons by city Labour leaders, Conservative councillors said“further steps” should be taken to help the council meet its net-zero targets.

This included “ceasing the use of the council’s chauffeurdriven cars for the Mayor and the executive, irrespective of leasing arrangements, [and] encouraging use of public transport and active travel instead”.

The motion also called for the council to end the delivery of council agenda and meeting packs to councillors’ home addresses and to instead, have them“served in a digital format,as standard, unless members opt-into receive hard copies”.

Councillor Antony Mullen, Conservative Group leader, said the motion aimed to stop the “damage done to our environment by having councillors and meeting packs chauffeured around the city”.

The opposition councillor said ending use of the council’ s three executive cars and reducing printing costs around meeting papers could save the local authority around £140,000 a year.

However, Labour councillors hit back, saying the motion would cause logistical problems and security risks for the Mayor of Sunderland and the associated ceremonial chains.

Labour councillor Iain Scott said proposals in the motion would be“counter productive for the purpose of the Mayoral office” due to the number of engagements and journeys the role requires.

Several councillors at the meeting also dismissed the suggestion that the Mayor of Sunderland could use buses, or even electric scooters, to attend engagements.

Labour councillor Phi lT ye said the motion was “outrageous” and “a direct attempt to put the Mayor in danger”.

It was also noted that the Conservative Group motion could stop the use of the council’ s electric car fleet.

Labour councillor Michael Butler, while supporting a reduction in the use of paper agendas at meetings, said the proposals around Mayoral transport were a“step too far ”.

Liberal Democrat councillor Stephen O’Brien added residents would not accept some people in the council “using executive vehicles to jet around the city” when other people “go to work, use public transportation, bikes and electric scooters”.

After being put to the vote at City Hall on January 25, 2023, the motion was defeated with 29 votes in favour, one abstention and 39 votes against.

Back in 2019, the city council’s Conservative Group launched a motion which led to the declaration of a climate emergency, setting out carbon neutral targets and other council commitments.

Since then, Sunderland City Council’s Labour cabinet have developed a range of proposals and strategic documentsaround slashing carbon emissions.

Initiatives aim to help the council become carbon neutral by 2030, as well as wider ambitions for the city to becomecarbon neutral by 2040.