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Published:
July 1, 2008
Plans
for £29,000 CCTV camera
unveiled for Burnham's Manor Gardens
Plans
to introduce a new £29,000 CCTV camera in Burnham's vandalism-hit
Manor Gardens received luke warm support from town councillors
at a meeting on Monday evening (June 30th).
Cllr
John Swayne, who represents the district council on Somerset's
Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, outlined plans to introduce
a new permanent CCTV camera in the park as part of an ongoing
drive to crack down crime.
 But
while councillors welcomed the proposals to replace the temporary
camera (pictured here), they baulked at the request to provide
funding for the scheme.
"If
we were to provide funding here, we could be opening the flood
gates for many more requests from the districy council,"
said Cllr Neville Jones during Monday's Town Improvements Committee
Meeting.
"The
district council has been very happy to pass us responsibility
for funding facilities such as this, but not to pass over assets
across the town."
However,
Burnham councillor Cllr Dennis Davey added: "The temporary
CCTV camera has been very successful and helped to make the lives
of many people who live around Manor Gardens more bearable. It's
difficult to imagine what it would be like with no camera any
more."
Cllr
Swayne outlined the plans, saying "The portable camera has
been very successful and certainly has improved the situation.
However, there is huge demand on portable units and the current
one can't stay there permanently. We're therefore keen to see
whether a permanent camera can replace it and would welcome help
with funding the costs."
He
said the total costs - which include a £4,000 bill from
BT to dig a trench and install cabling, £2,000 a year to
monitor the CCTV images, plus a further £2,000 to maintain
it - would come to between £27,000 and £29,000.
Alex
Turco, Chairman of Burnham's Chamber of Trade, asked whether Cllr
Swayne had approached the Regeneration Partnership for funding.
He said he intended to, adding: "We are contacting a large
number of groups." Cllr Jones suggested the Ashfield Trust,
which runs the Manor House, might be able to help.
Councillors
unanimously voted in favour of the scheme, but decided to refer
the request for funding to the town council's Policy and Finance
Committee.
The
launch of the temporary camera came after Burnham police held
a special street
briefing in the park earlier this year when Sgt Ian Kennett
told the public a CCTV camera was needed to tackle crime in the
gardens.
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