CCTV cuts set to be approved by council

Plans to scale down CCTV monitoring in Shrewsbury are set to be approved by Shropshire Council's cabinet.

Under the move, cameras in the town centre would be kept rolling, but round-the-clock monitoring would stop.

The reduction of the service is part of measures to close a £62.5m funding gap in council budgets in the current financial year.

Robert Macey, council cabinet member for culture and digital, said this was "another decision we have never wanted to face".

"Given our financial challenge due to rising costs and growing demand particularly for social care, which accounts for £4 in every £5 we spend, we now have no choice," he said.

"To become financially sustainable, we must review all non-statutory services we provide, such as CCTV monitoring and look at how we can do this more efficiently, reduce costs or stop altogether."

Under the new plans, recorded footage would still be made available to West Mercia Police, and volunteers would help monitor CCTV in the town.

Where there are "substantial grounds" to believe that an individual or the public is in danger, live monitoring would be provided, but only if resources were available.

About 65% of people who responded to a public consultation in August said that the council should approach its partners in the scheme to cover a £334,000 funding gap needed to retain CCTV monitoring in its current state.

However, Shropshire Council said partnership organisations - Shrewsbury Town Council, West Mercia Police and the Business Improvement District (BID) - were unable to meet the full costs.

The council's cabinet will discuss the changes at its meeting on 16 October.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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