PROPOSALS to reduce the number of CCTV cameras and close the operating centre in Weymouth town centre have been slammed by local business owners and community groups.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council has launched a public consultation regarding plans to shut down the CCTV operating centre on the peninsular and to strip back the amount of CCTV cameras that are installed in the town.

It is the latest in a long line of cost-cutting measures proposed by the borough council, which predicts if given the green light, could save it around £250,000 per year as it seeks to save 50 per cent of the CCTV budget for next year.

There has been no decision on whether any cameras will be removed or if the operating centre will be closed and the plans are still in the consultation phase.

However, it is expected the operating centre will have to move as its current base, behind Weymouth Pavilion, is set to be developed as part of the Weymouth Town Centre Masterplan.

Now, local business leaders and community groups have called on the council to keep the CCTV cameras in the town, as they are a key tool in clamping down on crimes, and also preventing it from happening.

Keith Treggiden, chairman of the Pubwatch scheme, said: “It’s a crazy idea really, it’s not the best idea they have ever had to put it nicely.

“The whole of Pubwatch is up in arms about it. It will have a huge affect on the safety of the town.

“We are a holiday town, we have a lot of stag and hen parties and there could be an increase in trouble if there are no CCTV cameras.

“A lot of people rely on them and the operators to try and keep the trouble down and to inform police if there is any trouble, so if there were no operators or a reduction in the amount of CCTV cameras that would be massively affected.”

Steve Newstead, chairman of the Weymouth Business Improvement District and manager of the William Henry pub in the town, said: “The CCTV costs a lot of money, but from the BID perspective it is vital to the safety and security of the town, and the perception of safety and security as well.

“I think it’s a massive tool for a seaside town that has an influx of visitors, especially during the summer season and on days like the Seafood Festival and the carnival.

“It’s not just for the night-time economy for shoplifting, when huge groups of people gather on the beach, when someone might fall ill in the town.

“The CCTV cameras and the operators are both unsung heroes really, and it would be a massive loss to the town."

Ken Crafer, a volunteer who works for Weymouth Street Pastors, said losing the CCTV would be a huge loss.

Mr Crafer said: “The CCTV system is an essential part of helping to provide a safe environment for the public at every time of the day.

“It is a wonderful and effective tool, and a reduction in the amount of cameras would reduce that effectiveness, and it also works very well for the pub staff as well.

Dave Hiscutt, owner of the Londis store on Westham Road and chairman of the Shopwatch scheme in Weymouth, said: “Any loss of CCTV would affect Shopwatch, it is a fundamental part of what we do.

“It’s not only a tool we use to find people who have shoplifted, but it’s also used as a preventative measure. The CCTV operators are amazing, the things they pinpoint and notice is great.

“It would be a huge loss.”

Michelle Hind, president of the Weymouth and Portland Chamber of Commerce, said: “We need businesses to have a say on the consultation so they can say to the council how the CCTV helps them and how it would affect them it wasn’t there.

“If it’s a benefit to the whole town, then the council should keep it.”

Tell us what you think

Both Weymouth and Portland Borough Council and police have urged members of the public to participate in the review.

Cllr Francis Drake, community safety briefholder for Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, said: “As part of the borough council’s service review programme, we have asked a number of key stakeholders with an interest in CCTV across western Dorset for their views about the service.

“The results of this engagement will be fully considered along with other relevant information and used to determine the future arrangements for CCTV.

“We understand that this is a valued service, but we are facing significant cuts and will be required to reduce the CCTV budget by almost 50 per cent in 2016/17.”

Martyn Underhill, Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “I would encourage all sections of our community to feed into the review of CCTV in Weymouth and Portland.

"This will help to inform the pan-Dorset review that I and other partners have undertaken as we try to retain CCTV in a period of austerity.

"There is no doubt that CCTV helps reduce the fear of crime in our communities across Dorset, however meeting that resource commitment with constant budgets cuts is an ongoing challenge.”