CCTV cameras to be updated in Nuneaton and Bedworth

[dutchman]

Businesses and the police are being asked to help pay towards the cost of keeping CCTV cameras on the streets of Nuneaton and Bedworth.

Councillors have agreed to update and extend the system and to finance it through the Town Hall budget, instead of continuing with the current lease arrangement.

A report to cabinet from Brent Davis, the council’s assistant director for assets and street services, recommended buying the existing cameras and monitoring equipment, along with new software.

He said this would cost a total of £325,000 and a loan over seven years would work out at £54,717 a year, compared to the annual lease figure of £143,000.

Finance officer Simone Donaghy pointed out the “substantial savings” made by the council owning the CCTV equipment and added that an earmarked reserve fund would also be set up, of £50,000 a year, to go towards maintainance and replacement costs.

Mr Davis said that moves had been made to offer the CCTV monitoring service to local authorities in Hinckley and North Warwickshire, while approaches for contributions had been made to businesses in the borough and the police.

He explained that negotiations were still continuing with the neighbouring councils and a reply had not been received from Warwickshire Police over a request to either supply and copy their own DVDs or pay an hourly rate to the council for doing so.

Coun Ian Lloyd said: “I was a bit disconcerted to hear one trader say that they should not pay towards the street CCTV because they already provided their own cameras inside their premises.

“I feel it is only fair to expect the business community, as well as the police, to pay something towards our CCTV. I know we are all feeling the pinch and have to cut out cloth accordingly, but this system is for the benefit of everyone. It should have a multi-agency approach. The cameras are there to protect our town centres while any evidence supplied must be a big saving for the police.”

Cabinet members agreed the recommendation, with the proviso to seek grants from outside bodies.