CCTV systems to stay at the expense of the taxpayer

By jmitchell27 | Monday, January 25, 2010, 17:29

Earlier this month I wrote that the Town Council will be losing the funding for some of Thornbury's CCTV systems - a decision that was met with opposition from those who insisted that there was strong evidence of the cameras helping to curb anti-social behaviour.

Well, it appears that the council believes the CCTV system in the Mundy Playing Fields to be so important that they have announced they will continue to fund it through an increased rate of council tax in lieu of receiving funding from the Safer and Stronger Community Groups Initiative Fund for it's upkeep.

All in all the cost of running the cameras only amounts to £1,369 per annum, so the affect on each households council tax will not be very dramatic. However, this may be seen as a strange decision from the council that resolved to reduce it's share of local council tax only last year.

Lesley Jones, chairman of Thornbury Town Council's playing fields and cemetery committee, said:

"We have decided to add the amount to the precept, which does raise it a little but we are also still looking into other funding possibilities.

"Everyone on the council felt the cameras had been beneficial in preventing criminal damage and nuisance behaviour.

"For many summers now the council has had to pay for constant repairs to the paddling pool, which we can't keep doing."

A number of local projects have seen a reduction in their funding following the councils earlier pledge to cut costs, but the argument here is that without a extra expenditure on security systems the local tax payer will end up paying more in the long term.