Town Team’s two bids for CCTV grants

SHEPSHED Town Team has submitted two different applications for grants for CCTV in the town centre.

The team made up of councillors, community organisations and local residents and businesses has submitted applications for grants to both Charnwood Borough Council and Leicestershire Police and Crime Commissioner Lord Willy Bach.

If approved, the funds will go towards installing four CCTV cameras in different areas of the town centre.

Anne Collier, secretary of the Shepshed Town Team told the Echo that they are hoping to receive feedback from their applications before their next meeting on Wednesday, January 24.

Anne also said that if they are given the funding then there will be full public consultation about where the cameras should be placed, and to iron out any concerns residents may have.

Anne said: “We are hopeful that we will be given the grants from either the council or the police and crime commissioner’s funds, or even both, but we will just have to wait and see.”

The town team was planning on using left over funds from the Shop Front Grant -given to Shepshed Town Council by Charnwood Borough Council in 2014- to install CCTV, but Anne said that if they were able to secure a grant from somewhere else then that money could be used to improve other aspects of the town centre.

This could include improved parking facilities and increased market stalls - which were both deemed a top priority by businesses in a survey last year.

Anne added: “We had some left over funds in the pot from the Shop Front Grant which was great and the borough council have approved the use of this on other ways to improve the town, but if we can secure further grants for the CCTV, from the PCC or the council then it means that this can be spent on something else to make Shepshed town centre even better.”