Appendix 9 (a)

CCTV Scrutiny Action Plan

Last Updated – 3rd December 2010

Recommendation / Cabinet Members Comments / Accept (Y/N) / Target Date / Lead Officer / OSC Update / Notes
1. Purpose of CCTV / Approve. / Yes / N/a / Caroline Bramhall (Parking, Security & CCTV Manager) / 17th June 2010 / COMPLETED
R1 / That the Council continue to maintain its obligations to Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act through the provision of CCTV.
2. Staffing / Reject due to financial implications / lack of available budget. / No / REJECTED
R2 / That the Council increase the level of funding currently allocated to the CCTV section to achieve optimum and efficient staffing levels.
Section 151 comments: To achieve full cover of 24 staff as opposed to current 14, would require an additional £200,000 and would need to be approved as a growth item in the Council’s Revenue Budget process.
R3 / That the Council continue to develop joint working practices with Lancashire Constabulary for the temporary placement of their staff within the CCTV Monitoring Room. / Approve. / Yes / Ongoing / Julian Clements (CCTV Sup. Manager) / 17th June 2010 / PCSO assists in monitoring cameras for Fylde Borough Council. Joint operations continue with police officers in relation to Blackpool Council.
COMPLETED
R4 / That the pay rate for the CCTV Engineer post be aligned with that required to successfully recruit to the vacancy.
Section 151 comments: The appropriate pay rate for the CCTV Engineer would need to be set in consultation with Human Resources, bearing in mind the possible impact of the current pay review. However, there is no revenue budget provision for such a post and the existing agency staff who cover these duties are funded by additional income to the CCTV service, which may prove to be temporary in nature. / Reject due to financial implications / lack of available budget. / No / REJECTED
3. Advertisement of CCTV / Approve. / Yes / 1st April 2011 / Julian Clements (CCTV Sup. Manager) / 16th Dec 2010 / Ongoing.
R5 / To advertise CCTV across the town more effectively through signage or displays in liaison with the Council’s Licensing Services.
R6 / To encourage local newspapers, when reporting on court cases, to state where CCTV had been used as evidence in the prosecution process. / Approve. / Yes / Ongoing / Julian Clements (CCTV Sup. Manager) / 17th June 2010 / We influence the reporting of CCTV’s contribution to successful prosecutions.
COMPLETED
R7 / To encourage the local newspapers to publish a feature article outlining the service provided by the Council’s CCTV Section. / Approve. / Yes / 30th Sept 2010 / PR and Comms Team / 16th Dec 2010 / Blackpool Gazette will not run a feature on CCTV without CCTV footage or images. The Council has a policy of not issuing CCTV footage to the local media as it will be syndicated to the national press which can impact on the reputation of the resort with visitors. However, a feature article could be included within Your Blackpool.
R8 / That the loudspeaker CCTV camera be used to regularly announce that CCTV is in operation. / Approve. / Yes / Ongoing / Julian Clements (CCTV Sup. Manager) / 17th June 2010 / The loudspeaker system is used to discourage anti-social behaviour as it occurs throughout the day and night.
Update December 2010: the system is currently out of action awaiting funds for major repairs.
4. External Income / Approve. / Yes / Ongoing / Julian Clements (CCTV Sup. Manager) / 16th Dec 2010 / Latest external contracts include work for Fylde Borough Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council.
R9 / That the CCTV Section offer their services externally to both the public and private sector for the installation, monitoring and maintenance of camera systems and the provision of other technical services.
R10 / To introduce a scale of fees and charges for CCTV footage requests and court appearances made by CCTV operators. / Approve. / Yes / W.E.F. 1st April 2010 / Caroline Bramhall (Parking, Security & CCTV Manager) / 17th June 2010 / A scale of fees and charges has been introduced.
COMPLETED
5. Future Developments / Reject due to financial implications / lack of available budget. / No / REJECTED
R11 / That the Council evaluate the cost benefit of funding to the CCTV Section formally to adopt and modify the rapid deployment cameras and ensure that these are correctly installed, maintained and remotely monitored versus more permanent cameras.
Section 151 comments: The evaluation exercise should be undertaken in consultation with the relevant Service Accountant.
R12 / That the Council provide a level of funding to the CCTV section to develop a replacement programme for the equipment.
Section 151 comments: The equipment can be purchased initially from the Council’s VPE (Vehicles, Plant and Equipment) Reserve with appropriate contributions being made back to the Reserve over the life of the new assets. / Reject due to financial implications / lack of available budget / Yes / REJECTED
R13 / That the CCTV section is established as an approving body when CCTV-related purchases are required for the Council. / Approve. / Yes / W.E.F. 1st April 2010 / Julian Clements (CCTV Sup. Manager) / 16th Dec 2010 / Ongoing. This will be done as part of the development of the Blackpool Services Directorate.
6. CCTV Control Room / Agree that CCTV should be in a separate building, but that it should still be co-located with Lancashire Constabulary. / Yes / TBC / John Donnellon (AD, Housing, Planning and Transport) / 16th Dec 2010 / Ongoing.There is no change, the developer working on the Central Station site is still working on proposals with an agreed exclusivity period. There is a contradiction in the notion that the CCTV would operate in separate building, but still co locate with the Police.
R14 / That any future relocation of the CCTV Control Room be separate from Lancashire Constabulary.
R15 / To explore the possibility of utilising BlackpoolTower as a connection point for wireless CCTV. / Approve. / Yes / 31st March 2011 / Julian Clements (CCTV Sup. Manager) / 16th Dec 2010 / Ongoing.
R16 / That consideration be made to co-locating with other 24-hour Council services. / Approve. / Yes / TBC / John Donnellon (AD, Housing, Planning & Transport) / 16th Dec 2010 / Ongoing. This will be taken into consideration once the future development of the Bonny Street site is known; however, the Parking Services and Security dispatch office is to be relocated to the CCTV control room.
R17 / That a member of the Executive be appointed as the Responsible Person who will oversee all developments in the maintenance and improvement of the CCTV system and answerable to the community for any concern or breakdown in confidence. / Reject as the recommendation is not needed – Cllr Fowler is already responsible for CCTV as part of his portfolio. / No / REJECTED