A clash of personalities created a bonfire of political vanities when Marlborough town councillors debated introducing CCTV cameras to protect the High Street on Guy Fawkes’ night.
Up to 20 traders who helped pack the town hall’s Court Room stormed out in disgust after an angry debate during which councillors launched verbal rockets at each other and ended up defeating a motion to create a £20,000 budget to pay for an initial four-camera system.
“It was like a comic opera, totally farcical,” upmarket jeweller David Dudley, one of the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce members present, told Marlborough News Online. “There were more fireworks inside the town hall than outside.”
“We stood on the pavement at the end amazed at what we had seen – it was unbelievable. All we wanted was a simple agreement in principle to consider introducing CCTV, but it was not to be. Now we face more delay.”
And while the retailers had applauded whenever a positive statement in favour of CCTV was mentioned, they looked aghast as Mayor Edwina Fogg continually banged her gavel to halt the political brawl, even telling her husband, Councillor Nick Fogg, to stop a shouting match over points of order and demands for apologies.
But Councillor Fogg was insistent on decrying the CCTV report on the agenda.
“The second part of this report reads like a commercial blurb,” he protested. “It says we have CCTV wherever we go. In the banks, yes we’ve got banks. In the post office, yes we’ve got a post office. The railway station – where’s that in Marlborough. The airport, even better, where’s Marlborough airport.”
“We need to ask very serious questions before we go ahead with CCTV. We need a proper report.”
The Mayor had in fact revealed at the start of the meeting that the town hall’s historic cells had been inspected to ensure there were no barrels of gunpowder present. As it turned out it was more like invective.
Inspector Matthew Armstrong, newly-appointed to Marlborough was there with Sergeant Vincent Logue to tell councillors that, while Marlborough had a significantly low crime rate, CCTV was an useful tool in helping them.
Claims that Marlborough was invaded by outside gangs from London and Manchester because it was the only town on the M4 corridor without CCTV were untrue, Sgt Logue told Marlborough News Online.
“But even four CCTV cameras are better than none,” he said, adding that Marlborough police station had no facilities to monitor what they showed, their value being in identifying criminals after events.
What the visitors didn’t understand was that the council was witnessing yet another conflict between the five-strong Tory group led by Stewart Dobson and his wife Marion Hannaford-Dobson and the combined independent/Lib-Dem councillors, the deputy mayor, Guy Loosmore, missing on holiday.
This particular battle began with the by-election victory of Councillor Noel Barrett-Morton in October last year. He had promised the introduction of CCTV in his election address.
He told the meeting: “I have spoken to most of the traders in the town. With one or two exceptions our traders are now united in wanting a suitable system and find it incredible that we as councillors have prevaricated for so long in providing one.”
Subsequently Mrs, Hannaford-Dobson announced the setting up of a working party to report to the council, but continuous delays caused annoyance, the report only now been published, and a time of austerity when council spending is under the cosh. It formed the basis of a motion last night to take £20,000 from the council’s reserves to pay for a four-camera system.
Mrs Hannaford-Dobson, who moved the motion, revealed that funding was also available from unused Marlborough Area Board funds, it being vital that an application be made before January. Her motion was defeated by nine votes to five.
But Councillor Richard Pitts, an IT specialist and also a member of the working party, believes much more research is required, both on finding a sustainable technical system, and in allowing the subject to be debated on a wider basis with a town forum meeting in the coming month.
He also believes there is a need for a new approach as to funding a suitable and sensible CCTV system since the council tax bill already includes 10 per cent policing costs.
“That means the police won’t turn down a CCTV system if they don’t have to pay for it,” he told Marlborough News Online. “If the council is going to spend further council tax money on public safety, it should be money carefully and wisely spent.
“The police crime figures are what we have to deal with and they really don’t make any justification for £20,000 four-camera system.”
And he agrees with Councillor Andrew Ross, an accountant who chairs the council’s Finance Committee, that businesses too need to make an on-going contribution to sustaining any CCTV system.
“All that needs very careful consideration and I hope we can do that at an open town forum meeting to be held as soon as possible,” he added.
His counter-motion, which called for an evidence-based, balanced report following community consultation, was carried by nine votes to four.
And he also claimed that the Tory-backed demand for installing CCTV now was an “election ploy” mounted in time for next May’s council elections, a charge denied by Councillor Dobson.
Councillor Dobson hit back: “Why don’t you say Yes we want it, no we don’t? It is not fair to the public. It’s not transparent. It just keeps the prevarication going.”
“No, it’s not electioneering. I take great offence to that remark. To me it is such a shame that we as a council can’t grasp the fact that the people in Marlborough by and large do want a CCTV system.
“It certainly isn’t going to make crime worse. That’s an absolute no-brainer. But there’s certainly a good chance it is going to make the situation better.”
Meanwhile, David Dudley regrets that councillors are playing politics on an issue where CCTV, which has much wider uses than catching shoplifters, might save someone’s life following an assault or traffic accident.
“Doesn’t a camera system justify one life?” he demanded to know. “Isn’t it worth saving someone from suffering? Why this continued delay?
“I had so much info I wanted to tell councillors – and so did others – but we were not allowed to speak at the council meeting. I hope an open forum meeting can be held and that we can decide as a town exactly what we want.”
