Issue - meetings

To consider the head of housing and environment’s report. 

Cabinet considered the head of housing and environment’s report.  This sought approval to replace old analogue CCTV cameras in Abingdon and Wantage with new digital cameras and to replace cabling to enable digital data transmission. 

The report set out the options open to Cabinet:

1.    To replace the analogue CCTV cameras with digital cameras in Abingdon and Wantage, together with cabling upgrades to allow digital data transmission. 

2.    To not replace the cameras and cease to provide a CCTV public space town centre scheme in both Abingdon and Wantage when the current equipment failed. 

3.    To not upgrade to digital cabling. 

Cabinet rejected option 2, as not replacing the CCTV cameras would present a significant operational and reputational risk to the council.  In addition, this would hinder long term discussions with Thames Valley Police regarding its county hub project. 

Cabinet also rejected option 3, as to not upgrade the cabling to digital would lead to on-going faults with camera telemetry.  This would impact on the operators’ ability to respond to and monitor incidents as effectively as possible, and would also not realise the benefits of having digital cameras and enhanced picture quality. 

Cabinet concluded that there was a need to replace the analogue CCTV cameras in Abingdon and Wantage as the current equipment was reaching its end of life and there was a risk that if it was not replaced, the CCTV service might not be provided.  Approval to spend the capital budget on the purchase and installation of modern digital cameras and the upgrading of the cabling would help the council to continue providing a professional, reliable and effective CCTV service to help prevent and detect crime and keep local communities safe. 

Cabinet noted that work was progressing with Thames Valley Police on an Oxfordshire-wide CCTV hub.  Cabinet hoped that this would provide opportunities for other parts of the Vale to be supplied with CCTV coverage, rather than concentrating the service solely on the major towns. 

RESOLVED: to

(a)       approve the spending of the capital budget allocated to maintain Vale CCTV equipment, so that all analogue cameras in Abingdon and Wantage can be replaced with digital ones and the cabling can be upgraded to enable digital data transmission; and

(b)    authorise the head of housing and environment, in consultation with the Cabinet member for healthy communities, to sign off the procurement of the replacement CCTV cameras to help maintain service continuity.