Rotherham Council to flog off deputy mayor's car to raise cash
The 2004 Volvo S80, which has been used just 21 times since 2019, is no longer considered necessary due to its low usage and age.
Last updated 4th Mar 2025
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council has approved the decision to sell a Volvo car used by the deputy mayor for civic engagements.
The decision comes after a review of the civic protocol by council officers, which found that the mayor and deputy mayor no longer attend civic engagements on the same day, reducing the need for two civic vehicles.
The 2004 Volvo S80, which has been used just 21 times since 2019, is no longer considered necessary due to its low usage and age. The council notes that while the vehicle no longer incurs direct costs for purchase, ongoing costs for repairs, maintenance, and fuel will now be saved.
In the event that both the mayor and deputy mayor are required to attend engagements on the same day, the council will make arrangements for a hire vehicle. However, this is seen as a rare situation, and no budget has been allocated for hire costs.
The decision was made after no other viable alternatives were identified, and no conflicts of interest were declared. The disposal of the vehicle is part of an ongoing effort to ensure the effective use of resources within the council’s operations.
A Rotherham council spokesperson said: “A decision has been made to dispose of a civic vehicle which has previously been used for civic engagements undertaken by the deputy mayor. As the mayor and deputy mayor infrequently attend events at the same time, both are able to utilise the main Mayoral car, ET1.
This, along with the age of the car (registered 2004) prompted the decision to auction the vehicle. The auction will take place on March 6 and the money received will go into the council’s capital funding pot.”