An eco-friendly car hire scheme has been given the green light to expand to another town centre with ambitions to spread across the whole borough.

Car hire firm Hiyacar has been leasing three hybrid cars to members in Faversham since last Spring for as little as £3 an hour.

Swale Borough Council (SBC) awarded the app-based company the rights to run a pilot of the rental service in Faversham from April 2022 until February 2025.

The new Sittingbourne branch is expected to launch in Spring this year and will end alongside the Faversham trial in February 2025.

Sittingbourne will have two hybrids and one electric car for rent.

When the scheme started in Faversham it included only three hybrids but – after a delay in installing an EV charging point – one was switched out for an electric vehicle late last year.

A council officer told SBC’s environment committee that usage in Faversham had been “incredibly high for a car club”.

She also praised the scheme’s benefits in “reducing transport costs for residents and reducing congestion”.

Hiyacar will be using the same model in Sittingbourne as in Faversham. The vehicles will be attached to set locations, with prospective drivers using Hiyacar’s app to choose a car and rent it – returning it to the pick-up point when they’re done.

The hybrids up for rent in Faversham are kept at Central Car Park, Institute Road Car Park, and Queen’s Hall Car Park.

The vehicles in Sittingbourne will also be stationed at car parks ⁠– in Spring Street, Albany Road, and Bell Road.

Council officers write that the goal of the scheme is to promote a shift away from car ownership and reduce emissions.

Councillors praised the scheme, with Cllr Roger Truelove (Lab) describing it as “brilliant”.

He said: “When we decided to do this in Faversham it was obviously with trial in mind and it’s worked out, I think, better than we expected, so it’s clearly established as something that’s worth doing."

Cllr Tim Valentine (Green), who is vice chairman of the environment committee, told members of his surprise at the success of the Faversham scheme.

He said: “I’m extremely pleased that the Faversham car club has been a success. I wasn’t entirely convinced it would take off when we launched it but it has."

He added: “I look forward to a successful car club in Sittingbourne and in Sheerness,” referring to the council’s stated ambition to expand the project across the borough.

However, Cllr Mike Whiting (Con) voiced reservations in his support for the scheme.

“This is a good idea. From little acorns great oaks do grow and all that,” he said.

But on parking and congestion, he added: “I think we’re overstating some of the benefits here, aren’t we.”

He made reference to council documents which say the car clubs can reduce the number of cars on the road by six to 12 per year.

“I think we need to be a little bit more realistic,” he added.

Documents submitted to the council by Hiyacar boast of the scheme in Faversham leading to savings in both carbon and cash.

It estimates that over the first quarter, 27 drivers saved more than six tonnes of CO2 emissions and almost £28,000 ⁠– amounting to £881 per driver.

However, a council officer told members that “the majority of CO2 reductions don’t come from the car themselves,” but rather from people opting to not own a car and occasionally use a vehicle from the club when they need one instead.

The local authority had considered Sheerness as a location for the new rentable vehicles but opted for Sittingbourne for the second phase instead.

The plan to proceed with the club in Sittingbourne was passed unanimously by SBC’s environment committee at a meeting yesterday.