Agenda item

(Safer, Greener & Transport Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report (C-016-2015/16).

(1)        That, in view of the need to increase capital and revenue budget provision to renew/replace existing CCTV systems coming to the end of their useable life and to properly repair and maintain existing and planned additional CCTV systems, the desire for the Council to continue to provide and invest in CCTV for the future be confirmed in principle; and

(2)        That a fully-costed CCTV Strategy and Funding Plan be formulated by the Director of Communities, based on the anticipated future costs and proposed new installations, for consideration by the Cabinet at a future meeting, in advance of the budget cycle to enable the increased costs to be incorporated within future budgets.

The Portfolio Holder for Safer, Greener and Transport introduced a report on the strategic direction for the provision of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras throughout the District.

The Portfolio Holder stated that responsibility for the Council’s CCTV systems was transferred to the Community Safety Team in 2008 as part of the Safer, Cleaner, Greener Review. Since the transfer seven years ago, many new CCTV systems had been requested by Directorates and installed across the District, in an attempt to deter crime and to enable identification and prosecution of perpetrators. This had resulted in 480 cameras now being active in the District. The maintenance budget for CCTV had not increased during this time and where cameras had required maintenance or repair, the additional budget required had been found from other sources. However, with the number of cameras now in situ, and the pressure on finding budget savings across the Council, this was no longer a viable option. Added to this, each CCTV camera had a lifespan of approximately 5 to 7 years and there were now more cameras requiring complete replacement.

The Portfolio Holder stated that CCTV was certainly a deterrent to crime and with systems such as the Council’s, which were well managed and maintained, CCTV footage was frequently utilised by the Police, resulting in many criminals being brought to justice. The Council was also able to charge for footage supplied to insurance companies in cases, for example, of damage to vehicles whilst parked in Council car parks. Areas of surveillance where it had been particularly useful included Night Time Economy crime and several cases of financial abuse of elderly people living in the District.

The Portfolio Holder therefore requested the Cabinet to consider whether or not it wished to continue to provide and invest in CCTV for the future and proposed that, if it did, the Director of Communities would formulate a fully-costed CCTV Strategy and Funding Plan, based on the anticipated future costs and proposed new installations, for consideration by the Cabinet at a future meeting.

The Portfolio Holder for Governance & Development Management recognised the importance of CCTV in fighting crime, and understood the need for the Council to protect its property. However, with almost 500 cameras and each having an average lifespan of 5 years, the Council would have to replace approximately 100 cameras per year; the Member was not convinced of the need for the Council to provide this service. The Portfolio Holder for Safer, Greener and Transport stated that the cost of cameras was getting cheaper and they did pay for themselves over their lifetime. The Council would always look to obtain best value for the purchase of cameras, and would also look to obtain as much income from insurance companies as possible. The further report would examine how extensive the Council’s strategy should be and the size of the funding programme.

The Finance Portfolio Holder acknowledged the concerns expressed, however CCTV schemes were popular with residents in town centres and car parks. The Portfolio Holder would have liked an indication of the potential cost in this report, and queried whether ‘dummy’ cameras could be used as a deterrent in certain locations. The CCTV Operations Officer stated that there was increasing demand for the images from the Council’s CCTV cameras by the Police and other agencies, and that CCTV was also used in the monitoring of flood risk areas. As an example, the upgrade of the cameras in the Bakers Lane car park would cost £2,800 at the current time, not the original £8,000 it had cost to install the cameras. Camera lifespans could be extended through servicing and maintenance, and armour plating could be installed to prevent rodents from chewing through the cables.

The CCTV Operations Officer added that the signage to indicate the cameras to the public had recently been updated, and that the Council had already been compliant with the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice before its implementation by the Surveillance Camera Commissioner. The Council would assist any Local Council to ensure their cameras were compliant with the Code of Practice. The Council did not use ‘dummy’ cameras as set out in the Council’s current CCTV Strategy.

The Cabinet was asked whether the CCTV images were used by the North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP), and whether the installation and maintenance costs of the cameras installed in the Council’s housing estates were charged to the Housing Revenue Account. The Portfolio Holder stated that the images were not used by NEPP as the previous Minster for Communities & Local Government had frowned upon the practice, although the cameras were used in the prosecution of Fly Tipping cases. The Housing Portfolio Holder stated that details of the funding, including any split between the General Fund and the Housing Revenue Account, would be dealt with by the further report.

The Portfolio Holder for Safer, Greener & Transport welcomed the comments on this issue, and acknowledged that further discussions would be required, but requested the Cabinet to support the principle of providing CCTV cameras within the District with a further report to be submitted on an updated Strategy and Funding Plan.

Decision:

(1)        That, in view of the need to increase capital and revenue budget provision to renew/replace existing CCTV systems coming to the end of their useable life and to properly repair and maintain existing and planned additional CCTV systems, the desire for the Council to continue to provide and invest in CCTV for the future be confirmed in principle; and

(2)        That a fully-costed CCTV Strategy and Funding Plan be formulated by the Director of Communities, based on the anticipated future costs and proposed new installations, for consideration by the Cabinet at a future meeting, in advance of the budget cycle to enable the increased costs to be incorporated within future budgets.

Reasons for Decision:

The level of CCTV coverage requested by Directorates for key locations in the District had increased significantly over the last few years, but the budget within the Community Safety team had not been increased correspondingly. The regular maintenance work undertaken under contract had helped keep the costs of repair to a minimum over the last few years, but the budget was now unable to accommodate the levels of expenditure required for continued growth, ongoing maintenance, equipment repairs and replacement.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

A decision could be taken to not increase the current CCTV budget and to phase out respective systems as they fail. However, this would leave these areas of the District without CCTV coverage and therefore a lack of detection in the case of vandalism or crime.