Issue - meetings
Approval of Upgrade to WODC Public Space CCTV Provision and Monitoring Arrangements
Meeting: 12/06/2024 - Executive (Item 191)
191 Approval For Upgrading Public Space CCTV Provision and New Monitoring Arrangements 
PDF 192 KB
Purpose:
This report recommends upgrading the public open space CCTV cameras covering areas of Carterton and Witney to high definition digital, together with the installation of five new cameras in Chipping Norton. It further recommends the Council joins the Thames Valley CCTV partnership, with an associated transfer of CCTV assets and operational responsibility to Thames Valley Police under a ‘single owner’ model; and moving monitoring arrangements to a shared Oxfordshire hub.
Recommendations:
That the Executive resolves to:
1. Endorse the continued need for public open space CCTV in Carterton and Witney and approve extending the scheme to Chipping Norton;
2. Approve use of the £255,635 in the draft capital programme Council resolved to approve in February 2024 for upgrading CCTV;
3. Note the potential funding shortfall of up to a further £55,000 and the opportunities for meeting this cost;
4. Approve joining the Thames Valley CCTV Partnership, with an associated transfer of all CCTV assets and ongoing operational responsibility to Thames Valley Police under a ‘single owner’ model; and a shared Oxfordshire hub, based in Abingdon, as the new monitoring control room;
5. Delegate authority to the Interim Head of Legal Services, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to the execute the formal agreements needed to join the Thames Valley Police CCTV Partnership;
6. Approve the funding formula for the Thames Valley CCTV Partnership and delegate authority to the Assistant Director – Communities, in consultation with the Director of Finance and the Executive Member for Housing and Social Welfare, to agree a new funding formula with Carterton, Chipping Norton and Witney town councils, and Marriott’s Walk and Woolgate shopping centres.
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Councillor Geoff Saul, Executive Member for Housing and Social Welfare, introduced the report, which recommended upgrading the public open space CCTV cameras covering areas of Carterton and Witney to high definition digital, together with the installation of five new cameras in Chipping Norton.
The report further recommended that the Council joined the Thames Valley CCTV partnership, with an associated transfer of CCTV assets and operational responsibility to Thames Valley Police under a ‘single owner’ model; and move monitoring arrangements to a shared Oxfordshire hub.
The Executive Member stated that the Executive had received a recommendation from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, requesting that the priority order of the steps that would be taken to address the funding shortfall of up to £55,000 (paragraph 4.7 of the agenda report) were adjusted so that steps c) and d) were moved up to become the new a) and b). The Executive Member stated that the Executive agreed with the recommendation made by Overview and Scrutiny, and that the priority order would be adjusted to potential funding shortfall of up to £55,000.
At the invitation of the Leader, Councillors Michele Mead and David Melvin, attending as non-Executive Members, queried the timeline of financial contributions associated with Carterton Town Council, and sought clarification on whether Carterton would receive any additional cameras in addition to the 4 it already had, or if locations of cameras may change.
Andy Barge, Assistant Director for Communities, stated that the Council had worked closely with the Clerk of Carterton Town Council and that an agreement was in place to reduce the in-year contribution to £5,000, and advised of a possibility that either two or three cameras may be relocated around the town to provide better surveillance coverage. The Assistant Director also stated that requests for further cameras would require agreement from Thames Valley Police in an evidence-base approach, in line with the Police and Crime Commissioner’s code.
Councillor Geoff Saul proposed that the Executive agree to the recommendations as listed on the report. This was seconded by Councillor Andy Graham, was put to a vote, and was unanimously agreed by the Executive.
The Executive Resolved to:
- Endorse the continued need for public open space CCTV in Carterton and Witney and approve extending the scheme to Chipping Norton;
- Approve use of the £255,635 in the draft capital programme Council resolved to approve in February 2024 for upgrading CCTV;
- Note the potential funding shortfall of up to a further £55,000 and the opportunities for meeting this cost;
- Approve joining the Thames Valley CCTV Partnership, with an associated transfer of all CCTV assets and ongoing operational responsibility to Thames Valley Police under a ‘single owner’ model; and a shared Oxfordshire hub, based in Abingdon, as the new monitoring control room;
- Delegate authority to the Interim Head of Legal Services, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to execute the formal agreements needed to join the Thames Valley Police CCTV Partnership;
- Approve the funding formula for the Thames Valley CCTV Partnership ... view the full minutes text for item 191
Meeting: 05/06/2024 - Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Item 8)
8 Approval of Upgrade to WODC Public Space CCTV Provision and Monitoring Arrangements PDF 69 KB
Purpose:
On 12 June, the Executive will consider a report that recommends upgrading the public open space CCTV cameras covering areas of Carterton and Witney to high definition digital, together with the installation of five new cameras in Chipping Norton. It further recommends the Council joins the Thames Valley Police CCTV partnership, with an associated transfer of CCTV assets and operational responsibility to TVP under a ‘single owner’ model; and moving monitoring arrangements to a shared Oxfordshire hub.
Recommendations:
To note the draft report to the Executive and make any recommendations for upgrading the public open space CCTV cameras and the associated changes to join the Thames Valley Police CCTV Partnership, with a shared Oxfordshire hub for monitoring.
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The Executive Member for Housing and Social Welfare introduced the report that recommended upgrading the public open space CCTV cameras covering areas of Carterton and Witney to high definition digital, together with the installation of five new cameras in Chipping Norton. The report further recommended that the Council joined the Thames Valley Police (TVP) CCTV partnership, with an associated transfer of CCTV assets and operational responsibility to TVP under a ‘single owner’ model; and moving monitoring arrangements to a shared Oxfordshire hub.
It was explained that £300,000 was approved by Council in 2019/20 for capital investment in CCTV, £255,635 remained, after upgrading the control room in 2022. The Executive would be asked to note the potential funding shortfall of up to £55,000. The steps that would need to be taken were listed in 4.7 of the Executive report.
Furthermore, under the current operating model, West Oxfordshire District Council retained direct responsibility for the public open space CCTV system and its ongoing maintenance. In early April 2022, Thames Valley Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner tabled a report to the Police and Crime Panel outlining a new vision for CCTV. This vision recognised that CCTV existed primarily for the benefit of policing and the wider interests of community safety. Therefore, it was right that policing would shoulder the lion share of the responsibility for providing the capability, under a ‘single owner’ model. The single owner model would help to consolidate technology, drive savings through economies of scale, improve integration with police systems and provide increased resilience.
An Oxfordshire CCTV partnership board was established in 2022 and TVP had employed a CCTV Operations Manager to gain greater traction; the point had now been reached whereby an Oxfordshire monitoring control room, located in Abingdon, was proposed, which would form part of a Thames Valley Police CCTV Partnership which would see transfer of ownership of CCTV to Thames Valley Police.
The Assistant Director for Communities answered questions from Members and the following points were to be noted:
- The Partnership Board would run the CCTV arrangements and any decisions on camera locations, removals, and additions would need to be agreed by the CCTV partnership Board with the funding formula adjusted accordingly. There would also be a legal partnership agreement put in place to ensure that any movements of assets out of West Oxfordshire would be considered in the funding formula.
- All partners were seeking approval for the formal agreements from their perspective Executives. Thames Valley Police would do checks on requests for additional CCTV and would then fit that requirement into the funding formula as set out in the report.
- Shortfall and future costs would be applied for through the Safer Street Fund as found in section 4.7 of the report. The outcome of the bid was currently pending and continuous funding would be sought were possible.
- Reporting of faults and issues with CCTV would be done through the County Wide Maintenance Program and service reports could be provided if required.
- In terms of ... view the full minutes text for item 8