GARDENERS from Keighley housing group Incommunities have been putting electric mowers and cutters through their paces.

Grounds maintenance teams tested a range of battery-powered mowers, including ride-on and stand-on models, to cut communal grassed areas around the group’s flats and houses.

Feedback from the initial week-long trial has been positive, with workers praising the standard of cutting and flexibility of the machines.

Managers will also carry out an assessment of the health and safety benefits for staff, such as the absence of exhaust emissions, lower noise levels and a reduction in vibration.

The group already uses some battery-powered spraying and electric chainsaw equipment.

Harry Whittle, Incommunities’ director of building and estate services, said: “We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint, improving our environmental performance and giving good value for money to our customers.

“We are arranging a large-scale trial using additional machines. If they do the job for us, we will look at rolling out more electric and hybrid equipment.”