A call for volunteers to form an action group spearheaded a CCTV meeting held in the Shire Hall last week (Wednesday 21st March).

Proposals for various options were put forward by Brian Ramsey, CCTV campaign co-ordinator for the Monmouth and District Chamber of Trade and Commerce.

The 2001 initiative – which saw six cameras installed in Monmouth in 2003 – was part of a county-wide partnership with Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) and three other towns, Abergavenny, Chepstow and Caldicot.

Unhappy with the service level agreement and other issues, Monmouth Town Council (MTC) withdrew its funding for the scheme a few years later, with the cameras being switched off in 2008.

A petition was presented to MTC in 2009 with more than 1,000 signatures of local businesses and individuals, but the council decided against further funding towards a CCTV system in 2011.

Two of the three options put forward at last Monday night's meeting proposed private funding and either using volunteers or hiring staff at Blaenavon's Shared Resource Centre, the IT centre for Torfaen and Monmouthshire councils and Gwent Police, which currently monitors the cameras of the other three towns still signed up to MCC's partnership scheme.

Mr Ramsey's third proposal was to rejoin this scheme using the cameras still around the town, adding to them with cameras from other towns who have now upgraded their systems to High Definition.

"MCC would be able to restore the service within a few weeks," he said, "and if we were back in the partnership, we could perhaps negotiate with the other three towns to ensure the cost falls to MCC."

"Stage one step one though is that we acknowledge that the people of the town feel, quite strongly, that we should have CCTV."

Taking comments from the floor, Sue White said she could remember what happened when the council had their own cameras.

"Each camera linked up with one another other. We had one camera at the bottom of St Mary's Street that when it pivoted, it hit the wall.

"I was at one time the only councillor who believed in CCTV as I remember what happened before we had it, but when councillors Hacket Pain and Hayward brought their report before the council, it was so damaging I could not vote for it.

"If you were to say to us we would have the co-operation of the people who put the cameras up and monitor them, we wouldn't have the slog we had; you do not know the years of struggle we had." Continued on Page 3

Gerry Bright added: "When the current town council had a voice, it was not listened to and the town council of the day had a responsibility to the constituent and the council said no.

"I have come here with an open mind, so get it right; if there is new technology that is more efficient, I will have an open mind. I can't listen to what other councils are doing, we are here to protect the money of the ratepayer.

"That was the priority of that town council, to get value for money."

For more information, see this week's Beacon (28th March)

"If you are a member of the public or a business owner in the town and want further information on how you can become involved in securing the reinstatement of CCTV please email [email protected]">[email protected] for more information."