Issue - meetings

To receive a briefing on the 2013/14 budgets and relevant performance information for the Council’s CCTV Camera network and Anti-Social Behaviour Team.

The Committee received a brief on the 2013/14 budgets and relevant performance information for the Council’s CCTV Camera network and Anti Social Behaviour Team.

With regard to the Anti Social Behaviour Team, it was noted that funding for the Macclesfield Post had now been secured. It was agreed that volunteers should be encouraged, however there needed to be an interview process as finding the right volunteer was crucial for the scheme to be a success.

In order for the Committee to be able to scrutinise the success of tackling Anti Social Behaviour, Members requested that the budget from each service area and partner organisations be mapped and circulated to the Committee for scrutiny.

With regard to the Mediation Service, it was reported that the three year arrangement with Manchester Mediation would come to an end as grant funding had now ceased and a decision had been made not to increase the Cheshire East budget in this area. Officers would however try to absorb the work within the service and seek funding from elsewhere. It was suggested that one option may be to request Town and Parish Councils to fund cases within their area.

Members noted that as part of the budget setting process for 2013/14 a saving of £250,000 had been proposed and that the review of CCTV was still being undertaken. The contract with BT would terminate at the end of March, a better way of transmitting images and reducing transmission costs was being investigated, however £63,000 saving had already been achieved. Resources, including working patterns, needed to be matched to the demand of the service. Officers were working closely with the Police to determine the number of cameras required and their location. Camera coverage and crime types were in the process of being mapped.

Members requested that the review should include the justification for not using the CCTV network to issue fixed penalty notices.

RESOLVED

That the Committee notes the proposed saving of £250,000 from the budget for CCTV and considers the review of CCTV should be completed prior to any decision being made.