A trend for some years in local government public space CCTV has been for monitoring to be ever more centralised, as more efficient and saving money. In mid-Suffolk, Babergh’s Cabinet last month agreed to transfer its CCTV monitoring and maintenance to neighbouring authority West Suffolk Council.
Babergh says that it worked with Suffolk Police, Hadleigh and Sudbury Town Councils and neighbours on a fully compliant, updated CCTV system to watch over the district’s two largest towns; Sudbury and Hadleigh.
As Babergh says, a council does not have a statutory obligation to provide CCTV, but says that it shares views held by its partners that CCTV coverage contributes to reducing crime and disorder – and aids police with finding missing people. Babergh CCTV was installed 20 years ago: 17 cameras in Sudbury and seven in Hadleigh – and like other systems fitted in the heyday of central government funding for capital spending on CCTV in public spaces, the kit was becoming outdated.
West Suffolk Council based in Bury St Edmunds will monitor 24/7 in their purpose-built CCTV control room. Sudbury and Hadleigh Town Councils will be paying towards the costs of monitoring.
Pending approval, future Community Infrastructure Levy contributions – collected from developers when they build new homes in the district – will provide funding to upgrade the CCTV to a fully digital wireless system, once a system specification has been agreed.
Derek Davis, Cabinet Member for Communities for Babergh District Council said: “This project demonstrates Babergh District Council’s continued commitment to investing heavily in Sudbury and Hadleigh, as part of our vision to regenerate the two towns and support their economic recovery.
“It is the first time we have worked with the police and town councils on CCTV proposals – and this project has paved the way for further partnership work, enabling us to achieve the best possible outcome for our communities. I’d like to thank the Communities team and fellow Councillors in Sudbury and Hadleigh for their hard work in making this happen.”
