Plans to install CCTV at the Leighton sports and recreation ground in Westbury have hit a stumbling block after councillors couldn’t come to an agreement on who should pay for the equipment.
A proposal was made at this week’s meeting of the town council to install CCTV at the site in response to ongoing anti-social behaviour that has seen the Westbury and District Cricket Club, who use the land, become the victims of repeated incidents of vandalism in recent years.
As the ground has a shared use by the public and the cricket club, there have also been incidents of dog fouling on the field which the council says “has directly affected the performance” of the cricket club in competitions. It was suggested that if CCTV were to be installed at the site it could identify those responsible for the incidents and also act as a deterrent.
The plans however hit a snag as councillors couldn’t come to a majority agreement on who should pay the £13,433 it would cost to install the equipment as the ground is owned by Wiltshire Council, not the town council. It was revealed at the meeting that Wiltshire Council has given their approval for the installation, and they would make a contribution only to the electricity costs and not the camera itself.
Explaining the need for CCTV at the site, cllr Gordon King said at the meeting, “There has been consistent and persistent reports to this council in the last 18 months relating to vandalism to the sports facilities on the field at the site. What is of great concern is the persistency of the complaints as there has been significant anti-social behaviour and it’s time that we made a contribution to find out who is responsible and assist the authorities in bringing them to account.”
Cllr Matthew Dean added, “I would strongly suggest that the council supports this to combat the anti-social behaviour and fix the on-going issues. I was surprised to see how much this would cost, however.”
The town clerk Deborah Urch explained that the £13,433 figure is the “worst case scenario” and that the council would investigate the costs further if the plans were approved. The bulk of the cost would come from connecting the proposed camera at the Leighton Recreation Centre to the existing CCTV system on Warminster Road as they are a significant distance apart.
Cllr Sheila Kimmins suggested that Wiltshire Council should contribute to the plans as they own the site. She said, “We have to bear in mind that the grounds, centre and car park is Wiltshire Council property and they have been made aware for many years of the ongoing problems there. I am surprised that the town council is being asked to fork up the whole amount when it should fall to Wiltshire Council to combat the anti-social behaviour at this site.”
Cllr Philip Harcourt added that he has been in conversation with some members of the cricket club who had suggested they may be willing to contribute to the costs of installing CCTV.
Cllr Michael Amos said, “We have cameras sited throughout the town and we haven’t asked the businesses that this provides CCTV cover for to contribute to the installation of the cameras, so I think we need a clear system in place.”
Cllr Dean said, “I would say that this is exactly the sort of thing my residents want as it makes the town safer, more attractive and pleasant place to live, and it supports local sports facilities to prosper. I think it would be wrong to not vote for this proposal just because Wiltshire Council aren’t paying for it.”
Cllr King summarised, “There have been consistent reports of damage which has impacted the club’s ability to play and consistent reports of dog fouling which has soiled the clothing of club members to the extent that they have been physically sick. Wiltshire Council is not in the business of providing CCTV cameras I have been told. This proposal has a great deal of support in the town and I urge you to help make it happen.”
The councillors then went to a vote on the plans, but as the vote was evenly split and the majority of councillors were not in support the plans, the proposal was not approved. The proposal could be brought back to be discussed by councillors at a future meeting.
