Shropshire Star

£10,000 to be spent improving lighting and moving CCTV on Newport car park

Councillors in Newport have unanimously agreed to spend £10,000 to improve lighting on a car park and relocate CCTV cameras in the area.

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It was the more expensive of two choices Newport Town Council heard, but members felt that spending the money would guarantee that all the work could be done on the Stafford Road car park without delay, and that it would greatly improve the town's night economy.

The money will be used to help enhance work being done by Telford & Wrekin Council, which will see lines repainted and a footpath added to the car park. Work will begin over the summer holidays.

Councillor Lyn Fowler said: "It was something Newport Town Council needed to support. We have problems with car parking anyway, and it's important we need it in the manner, with the CCTV coverage, that everybody is safe.

"We're very lucky. Crime rates are low, and that's the way we want to keep it.

"It'll enhance the safety aspect, but it'll also enhance the night economy in that people will feel more comfortable using it and that lighting is at its optimal, which is what you want.

"There's a whole project going on to enhance the parking in Newport, and the visitor economy as a whole, and the Stafford Road car park is part of that.

"It was very nice to see the entire council vote unanimously on this issue."

There was another option of matching funding of £2,500, but it would mean work would not be able to begin until later in the year.

Councillor Peter Scott, deputy mayor of Newport, said: "It was my view that residents would want to see a better lit, safer car park. We don't want half a job done.

"It's the duty of the town council to find the money to do the job properly. It'll give us a brighter safer car park, which will mean visitors can come to eat, drink and be merry.

"At the minute we've got a dark area, CCTV that doesn't cover the whole area and we can improve it. it's very necessary to the car park.

"We all want safety, we all want the best we can have. We've been talking about the car park for years now and I think this is the best deal for the whole of Newport, as well as any visiting tourists."

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