This is taken from council documentation:

The Council operates a CCTV system, known as the ‘West Berkshire CCTV System’ comprising a number of cameras installed at strategic locations throughout the district. The Council’s CCTV Policy notes that the use of CCTV in West Berkshire is considered a necessary and suitable tool to help achieve a reduction in crime, reduce fear of crime and improve public safety. The stated objectives of the West Berkshire CCTV System are defined as:

• To help reduce the fear of crime
  
  
• To help deter crime
  
  
• To help detect crime and provide evidential material for court proceedings
  
  
• To deter vandalism
  
  
• To improve public protection
  
  
• To assist in  the overall management of towns where CCTV is sited
  
  
• To enhance community safety, boost the economy and encourage greater use of the town centre / shopping mall etc
  
  
• To assist the Local Authority in its enforcement and regulatory functions within the town centre
  
  
• To assist with traffic management
  
  
• To assist in supporting civil proceedings help detect crime
  
  
• Any other objective agreed by the owners of the scheme.
  
  

And whilst it isn't working properly, we don't get any of that. Yet the council think it is perfectly acceptable to mislead us all, and fail to give an explanation.

Things have gone very quiet on this topic on this and the "other" forum.

The CCTV system for Newbury is still in limbo, and crime particularly in Bartholomew Street appears to be on the increase. There have been several attempted rear entry break ins. Live gas  pipes are still being removed and recently lead was removed from the roof of the Lower Raymond almshouses. They had stacked the lead up ready for transportation but were disturbed by a resident at 3am. Although the lead was recovered, it is still going to cost thousands of pounds to put it back.

Apparently (but not officially disclosed or confirmed) the problem has been attributed to the control centre at Windsor being unable to cope with the extra cameras from West Berkshire.

I have a customer who has installed a CCTV system for less than £750 in his house and garden which he can manipulate from the other side of the world via the internet. It appears that we can't get a camera to work between Newbury and Windsor for what now must be running into tens of thousands of pounds and untold man/woman hours.

I just don't understand it. As I said before, I've seen supermarkets with 20 year old cameras linked to a monitoring point via a simple data box. There will be more on this next week I should think.

Presumably we can claim compensation from Her Majesties Royal Borough and get the whole thing properly tendered?

Any chance of reinstalling the old system and just replacing the recorders?

Quoted from richard.garvie

I just don't understand it. As I said before, I've seen supermarkets with 20 year old cameras linked to a monitoring point via a simple data box. There will be more on this next week I should think.

Why is it we never seem to get any information from our council?
Has anyone tried to get an answer from them through other means?
I have asked for information through the Freedom of Information Act but that takes up to twenty days. The last time I tried this they did not even answer the questions that I asked? Sent off another request and of course another twenty days before I got the more or less same answer!
They just seem to go round in circles and are answerable to no one?

Why pay for a service that is apparently as much use as a chocolate fireguard?
That is not saving money it is wasting it; they may just as well have scrapped the CCTV and been honest about it.

But unless they give precise details of course all taxpayers are still in the dark.

The longer the secrecy continues the more suspicious one gets?

I think it is because the 'prudent' Tories have screwed-up this time.

"The CCTV system for Newbury is still in limbo, and crime particularly in Bartholomew Street appears to be on the increase."

I too have spoken to retailers and hear there have been lots of break-ins in Bart street (south end) - but there are no cameras there anyway ??!!

Quoted from PaulaM

I too have spoken to retailers and hear there have been lots of break-ins in Bart street (south end) - but there are no cameras there anyway ??!!

This is mysterious, there is a claim from TVP that they have some sort of CCTV coverage of the recent break in at the cycle shop. The nearest camera to be anywhere in line of sight would be on the St Johns Cycleway.

There is £32,000 available for improvements to facilities in Bart Street courtesy of Southern Gas Networks over-running time on their recent excavations. WBC have refused to use it for CCTV, but apparently they have offered the retailers to use it for a bus shelter.

Quoted from BrianB

There is £32,000 available for improvements to facilities in Bart Street courtesy of Southern Gas Networks over-running time on their recent excavations. WBC have refused to use it for CCTV, but apparently they have offered the retailers to use it for a bus shelter.

Isn't that a little overpriced for a bus shelter. Cost £10k, £22k left over for WBC. Nice little earner.

[quote=2]

This is mysterious, there is a claim from TVP that they have some sort of CCTV coverage of the recent break in at the cycle shop. The nearest camera to be anywhere in line of sight would be on the St Johns Cycleway.

There is £32,000 available for improvements to facilities in Bart Street courtesy of Southern Gas Networks over-running time on their recent excavations. WBC have refused to use it for CCTV, but apparently they have offered the retailers to use it for a bus shelter.

Sounds like a good idea? A bus shelter if placed in the right place would shelter some of the druggies when they are waiting for their supply of Methadone at the southern end of Bart Street?

What would be more use to the retailers? A bus shelter or CCTV coverage? If the rumours are true regarding the CCTV then probably no point spending it on the CCTV is there as it doesn't work anyway? Bus shelter for non existent bus passengers???

Perhaps copy the St John's roundabout markings onto the mini roundabout by Craven Road?  

[quote=2]

This is mysterious, there is a claim from TVP that they have some sort of CCTV coverage of the recent break in at the cycle shop. The nearest camera to be anywhere in line of sight would be on the St Johns Cycleway.

There is £32,000 available for improvements to facilities in Bart Street courtesy of Southern Gas Networks over-running time on their recent excavations. WBC have refused to use it for CCTV, but apparently they have offered the retailers to use it for a bus shelter.

Sounds like a good idea? A bus shelter if placed in the right place would shelter some of the druggies when they are waiting for their supply of Methadone at the southern end of Bart Street?

What would be more use to the retailers? A bus shelter or CCTV coverage? If the rumours are true regarding the CCTV then probably no point spending it on the CCTV is there as it doesn't work anyway? Bus shelter for non existent bus passengers???

Perhaps copy the St John's roundabout markings onto the mini roundabout by Craven Road?  

Quoted from BrianB

This is mysterious, there is a claim from TVP that they have some sort of CCTV coverage of the recent break in at the cycle shop. The nearest camera to be anywhere in line of sight would be on the St Johns Cycleway.

There is £32,000 available for improvements to facilities in Bart Street courtesy of Southern Gas Networks over-running time on their recent excavations. WBC have refused to use it for CCTV, but apparently they have offered the retailers to use it for a bus shelter.

A bus shelter !!!???? Dont't make me laugh - is that somewhere for the drunks & druggies to shelter ?

Quoted from PaulaM

A bus shelter !!!???? Dont't make me laugh - is that somewhere for the drunks & druggies to shelter ?

A bus shelter or something similar. Something that would enhance the street?

Suggestions please.

Quoted from BrianB

Live gas  pipes are still being removed

This has the potential of being quite lethal, not only to the thief cutting through the pipe, but also to the occupants of the building.

There is the possibility of a gas explosion and fire unless this person/s is caught as quickly as possible.