Newcastle agency drives support for clean-air zone

Newcastle-based lettings agency Seekers has begun replacing its fleet of cars with electric vehicles.

It comes as a clean air zone is introduced in the city centre.

The two cars, both Volkswagen ID-3s, are part of the agency’s carbon neutral plan to increase energy efficiency and harness the power of green energy. 

The brand said it also plans to replace the rest of the fleet with electric vehicles in the coming year.

Mark Smith, operations director of Seekers, said: “As a business, we want to contribute to the Clean-Air Zone by reducing our carbon footprint and being as green as we possibly can be.

“The cars are perfect for urban driving when we’re transporting customers to and from viewings, as we can literally charge them up and go – it only makes sense to prioritise using these vehicles.”

Newcastle’s Clean Air Zone aims to help improve air quality by reducing the number of high-polluting vehicles on the roads both within the zone itself and in the surrounding areas.

Seekers, formerly known as Walton Robinson, has also taken over steps to become energy efficient.

The agency’s home, The Bruce Building on Percy Street, uses electricity from 100% renewable resources as do the bills inclusive packages they offer tenants.

The agency has also adopted more of a hybrid-working approach for many of its staff members, resulting in fewer vehicles travelling to its city centre office.

Its general manager Amy Gibson said: “During the pandemic we adapted to a different style of working, and whilst certain staff members have since inevitably returned to the usual way of work due to the nature of their job roles, we learned we could adapt our ways of working in a lot of cases.
 
"There are multiple employees who we’ve helped to move towards a more hybrid approach, while others have adapted to fully working from home, meaning we can still deliver a great service with less miles and travel time along the way.’’