Wannabe cyclists in Totnes may soon be able to borrow an electric bike to get around the town as part of a new trial scheme.

The town council’s green travel co-ordinator, Maiken Hutchings, is working with Co Bikes to launch an e-bike share club trial, in a bid to promote an eco-friendly and sustainable method of travel.

At their full town council meeting on Monday councillors unanimously agreed to allocate £2,500 from their climate change budget towards the trial.

The trial will launch if the council is successful in gaining other funding for the scheme.

At the meeting Cllr Jacqi Hodgson said: “E-bikes are very much the thing that everybody seems to want now, so to have them hireable would be really good for the town.

“This would be a really useful element of what we are trying to achieve with improving the town centre, in terms of encouraging different ways of people not having to get in a petrol propelled vehicle. Electric bikes really do help people get up hills.”

Cllr Sarah Collinson agreed, saying: “We as a family have used this same scheme in Exeter and it’s absolutely excellent.

“It enables Jeff, for example, to travel from the station to the hospital and back really easily. It’s fantastic.

“And I think it also encourages people to invest in their own bikes.”

A recent survey carried out by Totnes Green Travel Steering Group showed “significant” support for an e-bike share scheme, councillors were told.

The trail would consist of four or five dockless stations and two docked stations.

Each station would have two or three bikes – more if the council secures extra funding.

There is already a docked station at Baltic Wharf and a second would be located near The Mansion in Fore Street. This would require electricity but this could be provided without any groundworks, a report drawn up Ms Hutchings said.

Suggested locations for the dockless stations are Bridgetown Community Hall, Totnes Railway Station, the Plains, the Market Square/Heaths Nursery and Dartington.

The dockless stations do not require any electricity.

The Bike Hub would be employed by Co Bikes to manage the bikes and ensure they are re-charged as needed, but any major maintenance would be done by Co Bikes.

Bikes can be hired on demand for both short and longer trips via an app.

They will not need to be returned to the same station but can be dropped off at any Co Bikes station.

Various price structures exist with pay-as-you-ride costing £1.50 for 15 minutes, but it is also possible to buy bundles that make it more cost-effective, councillors learned.

The report added: “It is hoped the e-bikes would encourage more people to cycle instead of drive, as well as provide tourists with a sustainable way of exploring the area.”

Councillors agreed to allocate £2,500 from their climate change budget, which has £10,000 in the pot plus a further £19,000 Section 106 money awarded to the council for green travel schemes.

They hope this will boost the council’s chances of successfully bidding for two grants - £25,000 from South Hams Climate Infrastructure Fund, plus the GWR (Great Western Railway) Community Investment Fund which is seeking bids of up to 50,000.

Should the bids fail, the council’s money will not be used.