Peterborough mayor’s Jaguar set to be replaced by electric vehicle

But even when life returns to normal for the rest of us the same cannot be said for Peterborough’s First Citizen who will be travelling to ceremonial events in an electric or hybrid vehicle as part of the city council’s drive to become carbon neutral.

The £534 a month lease on the mayor’s current car expired last month after four years, with the Jaguar having now been returned to its parent company.

And soon it will be replaced by a more eco-friendly vehicle with a final decision to be made in the near future.

The decision to move away from the existing mode of transport was previously agreed by councillors, with the council expecting to save £3,000 a year from its new contract.

The authority, which declared a climate emergency in 2019, faced some criticism in 2016 after agreeing the four year lease for the Jaguar when it was having to make savings elsewhere following large cuts to its government funding.

At the time a spokesperson said: “The mayor is the city’s First Citizen and the council’s civic protocol states that the car should be of British origin and in keeping with the status of the mayor’s role.

“The mayor attends hundreds of events and over the last three years the First Citizen has raised more than £100,000 for local charities.”

The ‘EG1’ number plate on the mayor’s car has previously been valued at £50,000.

The number plate has been in council ownership for more than 55 years and is thought to have been gifted to the authority when the EG registration was first used at the Peterborough Licensing Office.