Town Council pays £16,650 to keep CCTV cameras maintained

by Lisa Reeves

Tuesday 29^th April 2014

Tue 29^th Apr 2014

Wilmslow Town Council has agreed to contribute towards the cost of maintaining the CCTV cameras in the town.

They will pay £16,650 for the period from 1st April 2014 to 31st March 2015 to cover the nine surveillance cameras in Wilmslow town centre so they are monitored, maintained and replaced where necessary during that period.

Cheshire East Council asked town and parish councils across the borough to contribute towards the cost of running CCTV cameras, to help them save money, otherwise they will no longer be monitored or replaced when broken.

Town Clerk Matthew Jackson said "Had the Town Council not agreed to this funding the cameras in question would have remained on a tour cycle only, not have been actively monitored for the security residents and not been proactive in the collection of evidence. In addition the cameras would not have been maintained nor replaced when the need arose. This is all as a result of budget cuts by CEC to this non statutory service."

The cameras remain the property of Cheshire East Council and responsibility for all recorded images will remain with CEC.

Matthew added "A survey has been carried out in conjunction with CEC and Cheshire Police to ensure that the number and location of cameras are appropriate. This has led to some minor changes in type and location of some cameras."

Wilmslow Town Council agreed to accept and sign the service level agreement with some caveats. These will form a separate letter which they hope will be worked on during the next 12 months and included in next year's document.

Tags:: CCTV, Cheshire East Council, Wilmslow Town Council

Comments

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Oliver Romain

Wednesday 30^th April 2014 at 7:23 am

So Cheshire East Tory councillors can brag that council tax is frozen because they have found another way of paying for essential services through the town council. Just watch WTC tax creep up as CEC raids WTC coffers. Of course WTC Tory minions will support their CEC 'bosses' in this financial ruse. If WTC councillors had backbone they would call their bluff and refuse to pay.

Mabel Taylor

Wednesday 30^th April 2014 at 3:13 pm

Knutsford received `threats` that the public toilets would be closed if the Town Council did not agree to take them over, and they were handed over, lock stock and barrel, no longer the responsibility of CEC.
Then recently CEC said it was no longer prepared to pay for the CCTV coverage in the town, but Knutsford Town Council refused to take on the expense of maintaining the system, so doubtless it will, in due course, fall in to disrepair.
Of course there is no trickle-down money from CEC to town councils, so as non-statutory services are `handed over` to local councils , local taxes will, inevitably, have to rise.