Motorists in Truro, Falmouth and Penryn are being encouraged to support the creation of a new car club which will enable them to hire vehicles by the hour or day and, it is claimed, will be kinder to their pocket and the environment.

Cornwall Council has set aside funding over two years to kick-start the creation of a car club, which will also be run in Truro and possibly Wadebridge. There would be a fleet of pool cars in each town which can be booked in advance by club members.

The idea is to remove the cost of car ownership from drivers, reduce congestion and emissions and encourage a healthier lifestyle. A support group has been established to help push the scheme through.

Sarah Wetherill, of Transition Truro, told Falmouth Town Council last week: “Cornwall Council is leading on the project, but we want to make sure it does happen in reality and in a timely manner. We are doing what we can to ensure it remains high on the agenda.

“There are some very successful car clubs in rural locations, including Devon. We are very confident we can get something working in Cornwall that will be of benefit. Car club members tend to use public transport more because they are not tied to a car and they are thinking more about how they get about rather than just jumping into the car.”

Nigel Murray, from Transition Falmouth, said there could be 20 cars allocated for Falmouth and Truro, but initially this could be reduced to just 10 with four for Falmouth/Penryn.

The club would carry a membership fee and then drivers would be charged around £4 an hour to use the cars and some clubs also charge mileage.

Councillors agreed that a member of the new council should be allocated to the support group after the elections in May.