The vast majority of vehicles that are owned or leased by Hertfordshire County Council are powered by diesel.

According to data presented to a meeting of the council on Tuesday (March 26), the council has 734 vehicles that are leased or owned.

The majority of the those – 594 – have diesel engines, 92 have petrol engines and 48 are hybrid.

The council – which is working on its own ‘air quality strategy’ – does not have any LPG, biofuel or fully electric vehicles.

The air quality strategy recognises the significant impact polluted air can have on health, the economy and the environment.

And one of the proposals in the strategy is to reduce emissions from the county council’s own fleet of vehicles.

Further data, released by the county council following the meeting, shows that of those 734 vehicles, 370 are leased cars and 364 are other vehicles owned by the council.

Amongst the vehicles owned by the council are Scania fire appliances used by the county’s fire and rescue service, Land Rovers used in the management of the rural estates and wheelchair accessible vehicles used by adult care services

Of the council-owned vehicles two are petrol and 362 are diesel powered. Of the leased cars, 90 are petrol, 48 hybrid and 232 diesel.