New CCTV for crime-hit area in Nuneaton

[dutchman]

Crime-ridden garages are being flattened to pave the way for a new car parking spaces which will be watched over by brand new CCTV cameras.



Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council has begun the £83,000 works to get rid of the old garages in Pool Bank Street.

As reported by the News, concerns about the unlit garages have been raised for some time and, following the tragic murder of Morgan Hehir on Hallowe'en night last year, police identified them as an area where youths would congregate and intimidate theatre-goers and those who use the Army Cadet Hall.
The borough council decided to bulldoze the dingy garages and use the land to provide an extension to the current car park that faces the Abbey Theatre.

There are also other new additions in the area, including a new high-definition infra-red CCTV camera. It has cost £4,500, has been paid for by Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner and should provide much clearer images and footage.

Cash has also been spent on extra lighting columns in the area and the three existing lights on Mount Street passage have also been upgraded as has the ; the lighting along the footpath at the side of Meadow Court. The total cost for this work was £6,168 and has paid for by councillor Bob Hicks through Warwickshire County Council funding.

It is hoped that this combined effort by the borough council, county council and the police - which was been pulled together by the Nuneaton and Bedworth Community Safety Partnership (NABSCOP) - will help improve the area giving residents and visitors more confidence to use the park and community facilities available.

Cllr Julie Jackson, cabinet member for housing and communities at the Town Hall, said: "We are committed to working closely with our partners, allowing the council to improve parks and community facilities for the enjoyment of residents and visitors."

County Cllr Bob Hicks, chair of Nuneaton and Bedworth Safer Communities Partnership, known as NABSCOP, added: "This is a good example of partnership working creating a better, more accessible environment for local residents and visitors to the area alike.

"I especially appreciate the co-ordinating role taken by community team at the borough council in bringing together different authorities with their different funding streams to make a great improvement to this area."