Marlborough’s Chamber of Commerce has given its full support for the town council’s bid to introduce a start-up high-powered, quality CCTV system to cover the High Street shops and businesses.
But it fears that any continued debate on the proposal for a £20,000 initial scheme with four cameras will end up with further delay, the town council having first discussed CCTV 11 years ago and failed to take decisive action.
“It’s great, a fabulous idea which the Chamber fully supports but I fear we shall be in the same position 10 months from now and nothing will have happened,” Paul Shimell, the Chamber’s president, told Marlborough News Online.
“We are the only market town in Wiltshire without CCTV. Everyone knows it. That’s why we are being targeted and hit by gangs and thieves. Shops are suffering and CCTV is what we need to fight crime.”
“If the latest report to the town council shows it is such a good idea, then why haven’t they not introduced it? Why have they suddenly found the finance to do it when before they said it was too costly?”
He remains concerned that opponents to “Big Brother” CCTV as an intrusion into people’s lives will prevent the project going ahead, and added: “We have to ensure that any scheme does not invade people’s privacy.”
With other Marlborough organisations, including Marlborough town councillors, the Chamber is currently supporting the creation of a Business Improvement District to cover the town, which would eventually result in a Neighbourhood Plan being introduced.
This would include a wide-range of improvements for transport and parking, energy consumption, culture, tourism, telecommunications and Marlborough’s historic streetscape.
“If we can get that going then may be it will be the method by which we can fund CCTV ourselves,” he declared.
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