Should Horncastle pay for CCTV coverage?

Horncastle Town Council has received a bill for £4,514.88 from East Lindsey District Council to cover their share of the annual cost ...

13:36 03 April 2018

Horncastle Town Council has received a bill for £4,514.88 from East Lindsey District Council to cover their share of the annual cost of running and monitoring the system. Horncastle councillors are debating whether or not they should pay as their digital CCTV cameras are yet to be installed.   

 

 

Projects to upgrade WiFi systems in many towns were delayed and new digital cameras that were supposed to have been rolled out months ago were stalled. Although the problem was fixed in towns like Skegness, Horncastle and Louth are still waiting for the technology that is supposed to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. Currently, they rely on outdated analogue cameras, which have been described as “not fit for purpose.”

 

 

Earlier this month, several town councillors voiced their concern over paying for a service that was not provided.

 

 

Councillor Angela Birchall said: “Why should we pay for something that in effect we haven’t had.”

 

However, council chairman Councillor Brian Burbidge said that the town was covered by the service, as their cameras, although outdated, were monitored by staff in a control room at Boston. He also warned about the legal implications of not paying.