CCTV cameras reduced in a bid to cut council costs
Local democracy reporter THE number of CCTV cameras and community wardens in South Tyneside will be cut as council bosses struggle to balance the books.
On Thursday, South Tyneside Council agreed its 2019/20 budget, which included a 3.95% hike in council tax.
This comes as the authority has to save £12m while meeting demand in services for vulnerable adults and children.
Lead member for innovation and resources, Coun Ed Malcolm, revealing the budget at South Shields Town Hall, said the council had to “transform and change” to meet demands.
This included “reducing services that are no longer sustainable” and working with the community and voluntary sector to deliver services. While the budget introduced several cash injections into roads, housing, welfare support and community area forums, some services have faced the brunt of cuts.
This includes plans to scrap the community warden service – a team of six who respond to low-level anti-social behaviour issues in the borough.
Coun Malcolm said: “We appreciate the work that the wardens have done, however, it’s a service which is just not affordable.
“At its height there were around 20 wardens in South Tyneside funded by the long gone ‘Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.’
“And to our credit, this council continued to pay for the service after the fund stopped, all other Tyne and Wear authorities have ceased to fund the service.”
Another service on the chopping block includes CCTV cameras in the borough, which will be reduced by half. Coun Malcolm stressed that the changes would not have an impact on community safety. “We take our responsibilities for community safety very seriously and very conscientiously and crime in South Tyneside is historically low,” he said.
“We’re proposing to reduce the numbers of CCTV cameras we have, we currently have 109 cameras – this is the highest of any North East council.
“The proposal is to reduce the number of cameras by half, however, fixed cameras will remain in areas that they’re most needed such as town centres, and there will be an increase in the use of mobile cameras.
“We will work with the police to ensure there is sufficient coverage in the borough and we’re confident that the planned reduction of CCTV cameras will not have a detrimental effect on the community safety in the borough.”
The meeting heard the changes were being made due to the continuation of government grant cuts, with the council having to save £168m since 2010.
According to the Institute of Fiscal Studies, South Tyneside has been the third worst affected authority from loss of government grants. Over next five years, the council is also facing budget pressures of around £44m.
Coun Malcolm added: “The true cost of austerity can’t be denied. Local government may have been badly hit but the damage now stretches into every area of the public sector.”