Town Council pull the plug on CCTV manager

On Tuesday, a majority of Town Councillors acting on behalf of this Town's residents decided we didn't need a part-time manager for the CCTV system for the next three years - despite this not costing them a penny.

Paul Rounding harranged the meeting at length but failed to persuade, and indeed possibly alienated, the rest of the Council.   Those cynics would not believe that some of the £3million SRB6 money promised to Driffield and Beverley would be used to pay the wages and all costs involved for employing a part time manager, and that all they were being asked for was to be the umbrella, or "appropriate body" to be the "official" employer.

They would be appropriate in that they: a) pay the insurance on the system, b) support the system financially c) claim back VAT on the insurance payments and d) have adopted the CCTV Committee as a Town Council Committe - and insist that the minutes follow the Town Council's format.  Having jumped through all the hoops, the CCTV Committee are now back to the drawing board in an attempt not to lose this £60,000+ which it had been agreed they could apply for.

I wonder what Driffield residents feel now?  Is there anyone who feels, like those blinkered souls on the Council, that this should be organised under the Police, despite the "Police" not having set the system up but a team of volunteers who have since been adopted by the Town Council?   Surely prevention of crime is the duty of us all?

8th March 2002