A leading councillor has come out fighting in defence of a scheme which would see e-bikes used to encourage obese children to exercise more.

Councillors in Conwy voted on Tuesday to provide £5,000 match funding to pay for electric bicycles to be used to encourage overweight children into cycling.

But Cllr Louise Emery, the cabinet member for economic development, today hit back at public criticism of the plans, saying it was a solution to a health crisis.

Figures provided to the councillors showed that a third of children in the county had a problem with their weight, and that overweight kids were more likely to take up cycling if they used a bike with a motor to help them up hills.

Cllr Emery said: “It is quite an innovative project, but one that is a sign of our times and one which has riled people because what we are suggesting is that we are going to support the funding of electric bikes for children who have weight management difficulties.

“It is a sign of our times and we can rant about it and say this is a disgrace and that we have an obesity crisis amongst our primary school children. Yes, rant over, but now we have to find a solution.

“This is the answer being brought forward by the leisure team and this team is at the forefront of using cycling to promote health and wellbeing.

“The project they’ve put on for adults and they are planning to do for children is long outdoor rides on some of our many beautiful country roads where, when you go up the hill, you need a little bit of help.

“The aim is to get these children into traditional cycling. The alternative is that they just don’t go at all – they’re too embarrassed and they go and do whatever has caused their weight problem.

“I make no apologies for complaints saying it’s a waste of money. It is a solution.

“It’s terrible that it has to be a solution, but we have this problem with obesity and we need to sort it out.”

Members of the cabinet voted unanimously in favour of the plans.