MOTORISTS who drive electric or low emission vehicles could face lower charges to stop in South Oxfordshire District Council car parks.

The move could form part of the authority’s drive to cut emissions after Liberal Democrat and Green councillors formed a coalition in May.

The council has said residents will need to be targeted as part of a ‘specific public education campaign’ to ‘encourage behavioural change by residents, visitors and employees’.

The previous South Oxfordshire District Council, which had only two Liberal Democrats and no Green councillors, declared a climate emergency in April.

All other authorities in Oxfordshire have done the same. Oxford City Council has called a citizens assembly – which will begin at the end of this month – to discuss the implications of climate change.

SODC’s papers also say that the authority could buy extra land to plant trees and potentially offset emissions created in the district.

Any new headquarters in Crowmarsh Gifford should also include energy-saving measures, paper state.

But the council has said the plans are ‘not an exhaustive list'. They will discussed at a meeting today.

Last year, SODC became one of the first councils to hold a district licence for great crested newts.