FUNDING of £39,000 has been allocated to Borough of Poole to help launch a car club in the town.

The successful bid for Carplus funding focused on the the use of electric cars and vans. The vehicles will be based at exclusive car club parking bays at the Civic Centre and will be used by council staff during the day and car club members during the evening and weekend.

The project was praised for a number of innovations including the use of smartcards rather than keys. Also the council will trial an innovative Travelmates scheme with car sharing.

"In the current financial climate we need to look at how we can do things differently and still benefit Poole residents," said Cllr Ian Potter, cabinet portfolio holder for transportation.

"By using car club vehicles rather than their own cars, our staff will be demonstrating that electric vehicles are a viable, zero emission, alternative to conventional cars and vans. Additionally, in the evenings and at weekends, residents who join the car club will be able to use the car club vehicles and have the benefits of using a car without having to own one."

They will use electricity generated by recently installed solar panels at the Civic Centre and it is hoped to start recruiting members in the new year.