RESIDENTS of an Anglesey village have been encouraged to take to two wheels as part of a local initiative to help reduce carbon footprint.

Through the ‘Low Carbon, Happy Homes’ project electrical bikes have been made available in Llanfaelog as a pilot for a possible future community transport scheme.

The bikes, provided by Llangefni-based business, Cycle Wales, work on a pedal assist system which means people can rider faster and for longer than they would on a standard bike.

Living in a rural location with a limited public transport network means it is difficult to get around without a car – with many families often needing two cars.

The bikes have been trialled as a potential solution to some of these issues and have seen locals borrowing the bikes to make journeys to work at nearby Rhosneigr.

Councillor Gwyneth Parry, Chair of Llanfaelog Community Council who has been part of the project said: “This initiative has been fantastic and has given people the ability to try an eBike before investing to see if it suited them. Several people who hadn’t ridden for years found that they could ride with ease, giving them more freedom as well as significant health benefits.

"The scheme has been so popular that it has been extended for six months – we are really grateful for this and to the project for working with us here in Llanfaelog."

Low Carbon, Happy Homes is a LEADER project and is run under the Menter Môn ‘Arloesi Môn’ banner which identifies and pilots innovative responses to the challenges faced by rural communities on Anglesey.

It has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.

Dafydd Gruffydd is Managing Director at Menter Môn. He added: “This is a great project – it encourages people to think about their carbon use as well as work as a community to promote more sustainable means of transport and energy efficiency. This is in keeping with our vision at Menter Môn – and we were only too pleased to get involved.”

This scheme currently works with the communities of Llanfaelog and Llanddona to explore community-wide carbon reduction initiatives – with the aim of sharing the lessons learnt and good practice with other communicates across Anglesey.