A council which delayed its net zero emissions targets last month will spend £3.1m on 17 new diesel-powered waste collection vehicles.

South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) revised its deadline to become carbon neutral from 2025 to 2030 and from 2030 to 2045 for the district.

In documents posted on its website it said it needed to buy the diesel vehicles because of a “restriction on the number of suitable charging points” at its depot.

The vehicles will be used in the South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse districts from next year and the depot will be used by SODC until 2026.

The council said the range available on 26-tonne electric waste collection vehicles and clinical waste collection vehicles would be insufficient for its rounds.

It will buy 13 diesel versions of the first and one of the second.

The authority will also purchase an electrically powered cage tipper, costing just over £81,000. Another diesel cage tipper will cost £42,500.

SODC leader David Rouane said in October that the authority had “led by example” in reducing carbon emissions.

He said: “We set targets that were really challenging in 2019 to change behaviour.

“It’s about the district as a whole – we’re a business in the district and we’re doing our part, but what matters is what happens within the district as a whole.”