During my general election campaign, I sent out a survey across Kidsgrove and Talke, seeking support for a CCTV upgrade. Over 1,000 people responded to the survey and 95 per cent of people said they backed my plan for a CCTV upgrade.
I have lobbied Kidsgrove Town Council to use some of the £234,803 in their deposit accounts, based on the last accounts I have seen, and bearing in mind the big precept increases in the past, it is only right that tax payers hard earned money is invested into the town, not sitting in a bank account.
When the Town Council backed my plan to ensure the 2020/21 budget set money aside to install the new CCTV and partnering with Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council , who said they would help fund monitoring costs, I was hopeful things would get moving.
Sadly, I see no progress has been made and am left frustrated as I know Newcastle Town Centre has had its CCTV upgraded with state of the art equipment funded by the BID in partnership with the borough Council and now being monitored in the Stoke control room. In fact it has been so efficient and effective that I understand some Parish Council’s are looking to invest for their local areas.