Falmouth is to become one of the first towns in Cornwall to get an electric bus.

On Friday it was announced that the south west would getting more than 300 zero-emission buses funded by the government, in a project worth more than £43 million – although only eight of those will be coming to Cornwall.

However, it has now been confirmed that Falmouth will be getting one of those eight, with the town council saying it was hoped this would help cut carbon emissions and improve air quality.

The bus will continue to be a low-floor bus and be wheelchair accessible, and will also have additional accessibility features including next-stop announcements and hearing loops on board.

Cornwall Council successfully bid for funding from the Department for Transport ZEBRA 2 fund to provide the new electric bus for the Falmouth Town Service, with bus operator OTS and Falmouth Town Council also supporting the bid by committing £105,000 and £5,000 respectively to the project.

Craig George, bus services manager at OTS, said: “We are honoured to have been invited to take part in the significant ZEBRA 2 funding bid by Cornwall Council.

“Our services are at the heart of the community and it is most fitting that we will bring an electric bus to our service 60, which has stops in the very heart of Falmouth.

“This will be a tangible improvement for not just our passengers but also anyone who works, shops and holidays in our beautiful town.

“Whilst we have always invested in the lowest emission buses, we have long held the ambition of bringing a zero-emission bus to this route and thanks to our pioneering partnership with Cornwall Council and Falmouth Town Council we are able to be at the forefront of this drive towards an even cleaner future.”

The news has also been welcomed by Falmouth mayor Kirstie Edwards, who said: “We are absolutely delighted to have our first green bus for Falmouth. This is the sum of a lot of work behind the scenes by our partners, Cornwall Council and OTS, and we are very grateful to receive the Department of Transport funding to assist us making this dream become a reality.

“We all have to work together to tackle the climate challenges we collectively face, and this is one of the many things we are doing and engaged with as a town council to build our resilience and invest in our community.”