Cheshire East has scrapped plans to consult on proposals to axe or reduce its CCTV service, writes Belinda Ryan.
But the authority is to ask Cheshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner and other partners to help fund it.
The council’s service currently operates on a 24/7 basis, 365 days of the year.
During the 17-month period between April 2023 and October 2024, it dealt with more than 20,000 incidents, 50% of which resulted from direct observation by a CCTV operator.
Today (Thursday) council officers asked the environment and communities committee for permission to consult with the public on cost-cutting options, including ceasing all CCTV operations.
After two amendments were put forward, the committee voted unanimously to retain the service with a minor restructure which would see save savings of about £41,000.
According to the report to the committee, this would have “no impact to current service delivery levels, retaining potential to grow income generating services going forward”.
The committee was told the most significant demand on the CCTV service came from Cheshire Police, which accounts for 87% of the demand for evidence packages.
Cllr Joy Bratherton (Crewe, Lab) asked: “What amount of money is he [police commissioner] putting in compared to what we are putting in, seeing as how it’s his police force that should be out there in the streets keeping us safe?
“From a personal position, I would no more dream of going into Crewe after dark than flying to the moon, unless I have friends with me.”
Tom Shuttleworth, interim director of environment and neighbourhoods, said there had already been talks with the commissioner in October and the council had “asked in terms of a permanent revenue funding contribution”.
He said the council would hold further meetings “to continue to request that funding”.
Mr Shuttleworth told Cllr Bratherton: “At the moment, there isn’t any permanent revenue funding contribution to the CCTV service from the police and crime commissioner.”
Councillors Tony Dean (Knutsford, Con) and Garnet Marshall (Middlewich, Ind) both suggested the council put more effort into making use of AI for CCTV.
Earlier in the meeting, during public speaking, Congleton town councillor Robert Douglas had said he thought any cutbacks which jeopardised public safety were “utterly appalling” and the committee should negotiate with the PCC for funding towards CCTV.
Congleton mayor Kay Wesley said: “Given its significant contribution to community safety, any reduction in service is unacceptable.”
Committee chair Mick Warren (Macclesfield, Ind) said he had received numerous emails from councillors and others concerned about any reduction to the service.
Another report will go back to the June meeting of the committee, after officers have held further talks with the police commissioner and other partners who use the service, regarding funding contributions.
I don’t want to waste my time trying to find and read the report as I find that they are too wordy and basically say little.
Has any thought or analysis been undertaken on offering the control centre facility to other organisations/companies to buy into. A simple commercial approach. It is easy to say we cannot do it, surely it should be to find away to do it.