Council to consider future of Shropshire's speed cameras

SPEED CAMERAS could be axed across the county as part of measures by Shropshire Council to save £60 million over the next three years, the authority's leader said today.

Councillor Keith Barrow said the authority would look at whether significant savings could be made by removing funding for speed cameras via the West Mercia Safety Camera Partnership.

It follows a move by Oxfordshire County Council which switched off its speed cameras this month as part of a £13 million budget cut.

Councillor Barrow today stressed there were no plans in place as yet to do the same in Shropshire.

He said: "Speed cameras aren't at the top of our list at the moment but it has to be balanced. I think speed cameras do a very good job at saving lives and they are not about penalising motorists. But we are looking at absolutely everything and nothing is ruled out."

The council has already pulled £150,000 worth of funding for speed cameras in the county this year as government funding dries up but Mr Barrow today warned more severe cuts may have to be made.

He said: "I have requested a full report from officers with all options including a total cut, some cuts and no cuts being looked at. We need all the information so we can make a decision. But clearly there are some cameras, such as the one at Shotatton crossroads, which have such obvious road safety benefits that we would be crazy to get rid of."

A spokeswoman for the West Mercia Safety Camera Partnership said: "There are 22 speed camera sites in the Shropshire Council area, four fixed and 18 mobile camera sites.

"We don't record a total amount of how much it costs to run each camera per year."

By Russell Roberts