Smile, you’re not on camera
CCTV will be removed from park and ride
SECURITY cameras are to be withdrawn from one of Cheltenham’s two park and ride sites. Borough council bosses say that the 12 CCTV cameras at the park and ride at the racecourse are not needed any more.
They say the plan is to remove them after the big National Hunt racing festival has taken place at Prestbury Park in March next year.
The move forms part of a wider review of the 25 CCTV cameras owned by the borough council, with the authority saying that the majority of them will stay in place.
Regarding the plan to ditch the cameras from the park and ride at the racecourse, Louis Krog, the council’s licensing team leader, said: “The review of the public realm CCTV network, in conjunction with the police, has identified these as no longer necessary based on usage statistics produced by the police.
“We offered the racecourse the opportunity to take over the ownership and management of the park and ride cameras but they did not take up the offer.”
As well as the plan to get rid of the 12 cameras at the racecourse, the council said seven cameras had been decommissioned as part of its decision to sell land it owned in North Place.
But Mr Krog insisted that most of the council’s remaining cameras would stay in place and that it intended to improve its CCTV network in the long run. He said the plan was to increase the number of cameras to 28.
He said: “The council has undertaken a review of its entire public realm CCTV network as part of its long term plans to invest in the upgrade of the network.
“The majority of cameras will remain. In consultation with the police, who are responsible for the day-to-day operation of the system, those that are being decommissioned are in areas where the need for them has decreased and therefore where public surveillance may no longer be proportionate and necessary.
“We expect the work to start after the Festival in March 2019.”
He added that the cost of the upgrade, and how much would be saved by removing the park and ride cameras, was not known yet as the procurement process was ongoing.
Cheltenham’s first park and ride scheme was launched at Cheltenham Racecourse in 1990.
In 1997, a second scheme opened at Arle Court.
It is maintained by Gloucestershire County Council. robin.jenkins@reachplc.com