A TWENTY-FOUR hour CCTV system is in the pipeline for Weymouth town centre – good news for those who hit out after plans to cut surveillance in the town last year.

Councillors at the borough Management Committee agreed a Pan-Dorset CCTV proposal, being led by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), Dorset Police, Dorset County Council and the Borough Council.

It will ensure the continuation of CCTV provision across Weymouth and Portland at a reduced cost while supporting a wider initiative to benefit Dorset. 

It will also see the relocation of the existing control room from the Ferry Terminal to the Dorset County Council Colliton Campus in Dorchester, which will release the Peninsula site for future opportunities. 

Currently Weymouth town centre has a 12-hour CCTV system operating from 4pm to 4am.

However, CCTV in Weymouth and Portland has reached a point where closure of the service would likely be required in order to make the Service Review savings of £135,000 per annum. 

The CCTV has always been funded by WPBC along with third party contributions. 

Dorset Police has been the greatest beneficiary of the scheme and has yet paid no contribution towards it.

The OPCC and Dorset Police will commit funding towards the relocated operation with a one-off capital contribution of £250,000 and £25,000 per annum revenue funding for three years. 

Existing third party contributors will be asked to commit to three years' funding in order to ensure consistency and continuation of the service. This will leave Weymouth and Portland Borough Council a payment of £93,000.

Cllr Francis Drake, brief holder for community safety, raised his concerns about security and in particular the threat from terrorist attacks. He said: “We would see a saving of £85,000 and would get the benefit of going from a 12-hour system which runs from 4pm to 4am, which as a shop owner I have never been happy with, to a 24-hour system.”

Cllr Jeff Cant raised his concerns about noise levels in the town and suggested it being monitored by the new 24-hour CCTV system. 

He said: “The town centre is not a welcoming place in the early hours of the morning because of the constant screaming, shouting and cursing. 
This is why we have a big issue for the people living in the town centre above shops. 

"The noise is driving people out of town. At the moment excessive levels of noise cannot be heard through the CCTV.”

However, Cllr Drake was concerned that listening in to the public’s conversations would be stepping on their privileges and human rights.

Mayor of Weymouth and Portland, Cllr Christine James, felt that businesses in the town centre needed to contribute to the system as they too benefit from it. 

Cllr Drake informed councillors that he had been talking with Weymouth BID who were looking to provide about £5,000 for the scheme.