The future of Nantwich’s CCTV service could be in doubt unless the town council contributes.
Nantwich Town councillors have been told by Cheshire East Council they may have to pay up to £26,000 if they want a full service to remain in place.
Letters have been sent out to town and parish councils around the borough calling for a contribution to running costs for CCTV cameras.
Cheshire East have said cameras will remain in place, but warned if there are no contributions then “they would not be actively monitored by our operators or be maintained or replaced”.
Nantwich Town Council clerk Ian Hope confirmed at a meeting last night: “Cheshire East has written to us asking for a contribution to running costs.
“Nantwich has 14 cameras and they are asking for £1,800 per camera, which amounts to £26,000.
“They are asking whether we wish to maintain that CCTV service in our town.”
Cllr Arthur Moran said: “This council has invested a lot of capital in this town and the CCTV system has grown.
“Cheshire East wanted cameras monitored in Macclesfield, but we paid £5,000 to make sure they could be monitored from the local police station.
“Cheshire East is just giving us a list of things it is looking to out-source and get rid of. There won’t be anything left soon, it will be a case of the last one to leave please switch out the lights!”
But Cheshire East Council Leader Cllr Michael Jones said: “Cheshire East Council is not intending to pass on responsibility for CCTV cameras to town and parish councils.
“We simply want these bodies to buy into the surveillance and protection of our people. We are asking them for a contribution to the running costs.
“Where no commitment is made the cameras will remain in place but this will be on a record basis only – meaning they would not be actively monitored by our operators or be maintained or replaced.
“It is important to Cheshire East to work together with local elected representatives and we welcome the opportunity to meet town and parish councils and listen to their thoughts on how we can work together in the future.”
What would be the point of having inactive or broken CCTV cameras cluttering up the town?
If Nantwich Town Council is so keen on CCTV (as if we weren’t already the most watched-over country in Europe – and, of course, the least crime-ridden …) why doesn’t it simply dip into its enormous deposit account and pay for them. £26k would be a drop in the ocean and, some might say, money well spent.
At least it would be money spent, rather than money sitting there doing nothing.
It is pretty obvious that these CCTVs are already funded through CEC’s council tax – otherwise they wouldn’t be there. Councillor Jones and his chums have not personally paid for these devices nor provided them out of the goodness of their hearts. Doubtless if Nantwich Council is stupid enough to agree to this, CEC will not reduce their charges but Nantwich Council will increase theirs; a re-run in financial terms of the transfer of the Civic Centre, Market Hall etc. It is just another manifestation of the evils of government generally, i.e. grab more and more of local taxpayers cash whilst providing worse services. What a bunch of scoundrels!