As announced by Transport Minister Baroness Kramer, Norfolk County Council and Norwich City Council, Derby City Council, Nottingham City Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority are the winning bidders of a share of £500,000. The funding competition was announced by Baroness Kramer earlier this year to support pilot projects as part of the car club development programme.

The project awards see Norfolk County Council and Norwich City Council gain £100,000 funding to grow the successful Norfolk Car Club in Norwich and across the Greater Norwich area.

Derby City Council has been granted £75,000 funding for a new car club starting with 10 city centre car club vehicles available to businesses and residents.

Meanwhile Nottingham City Council will use £37,500 funding to create five new hubs at key transport interchanges including the train station and Park ‘n' Ride sites offering access to shared cars. The Nottingham Citycard, an integrated smart ticket which currently offers train, tram and bus travel will also become the “key” to these vehicles.

And West Yorkshire Combined Authority has been given £37,500 funding to add 20 cars across the authority from York in the north to Halifax in the west, with seamless bus, train and car club travel possible through the MCard.

Baroness Kramer said: ‘These investments will give the growing interest in car clubs added momentum. Car clubs cut congestion, reduce carbon and save people money while still giving people the freedom and flexibility to use a car when they want to.

‘We can now look forward to the winning towns and cities providing a practical demonstration of the increasing relevance of car clubs to sustainable transport throughout England.’

Chas Ball, Chief Executive of Carplus, said: ‘This is a significant step forward for car clubs, creating the conditions for innovative schemes that also provide excellent examples of how car clubs complement public transport.’

Carplus, which promotes accessible and low-carbon alternatives to traditional car use in the UK, will also announce the winners of the Car Club Challenge Fund at its Annual Forum on 27 November. This grant will help to kick start or expand projects in small towns and rural areas and also fund projects that aim to improve transport integration.

Across the UK, it is estimated the car club fleet saves over 2,700 tonnes of carbon per year – the equivalent of 886 return flights from London to Sydney.