Oswestry's CCTV cameras saved for another year at least

There had been worries over the future funding of the cameras that have been operating in the town centre for a decade.

But while the long-term future of the scheme is still being debated, Kate Garner, Shropshire Council’s community action manager, has announced that in the short-term they will continue to run.

Speaking to a meeting of the Oswestry local joint committee this week, Miss Garner said the cameras would be operating and monitored for at least the coming 12 months.

“We have been able to secure funding for the next year,” she said.

“This will give us time to have more discussions about its future.”

The project was twice turned down for Home Office funding.

But eventually the closed-circuit television cameras were installed with £112,000 funding from Oswestry Town Council to pay for the first 11 cameras in 2001.

A year later more cameras were installed in Gobowen.

For many years the now defunct, Oswestry Borough Council helped towards the running costs.

However, continued pleas to the business community to contribute towards running costs were largely unsuccessful.

The cameras are monitored by volunteers in a control room within Oswestry’s police station.

Recently the scheme was recognised as the most successful volunteer-run CCTV project in Britain.

Police acknowledged that the introduction of a CCTV scheme had cut crime levels, with broken windows and other anti-social behaviour cut back in Oswestry Town Centre.