CCTV cameras in Eastleigh set to be cut from 51 to 15

At a recent meeting, an Eastleigh Borough Council committee recommended that 51 outdated cameras be removed and have 15 modern ones installed - should the police and crime commissioner foot the £50,000 bill.

The annual running cost of the existing cameras is £300,000 which is “increasingly unaffordable” and "offered limited public protection at a high cost" the council said - and it would cost £27,000 to take down.

READ MORE: Woman hits out as council look to scrap ‘vital’ CCTV to cut costs

An eight-week consultation got 1,158 responses - making it one of the council’s most responded-to surveys in the past five years.

One woman said she relies fully on the cameras to protect her as they would provide evidence.

She added: “To cut this service would be extremely detrimental to women's safety. Please replace the camera network.”

Another survey respondent said: “I will seriously consider not going there [the town centre] if the CCTV cameras are taken away.”

Eastleigh high street (Image: Newsquest)

Of the respondents, 86 per cent said the priority should be to replace the existing cameras with modern ones.

If the policy and scrutiny panel's recommendation is approved at the council’s Cabinet meeting next Thursday, the commissioner would be approached for funding.

Ms Jones said she will be happy to consider the request, but local authorities are encouraged to only bid for up to £25,000 in her anti-social behaviour fund.

She said: “However I am aware Eastleigh has experienced ongoing anti-social behaviour and this remains a priority for the police.

“Making the town as safe as possible is something I am wholly committed to doing.

“Any decision I make with regards to funding new cameras will be based on whether they will provide value for money for the public.”

Councillors also recommended that funding is approved for new car park technology at the Swan Centre and Mitchell Road car parks.

Both locations need to be monitored on a 24-hour basis.

But Cllr Steve Broomfield, policy and scrutiny committee member, said the proposals put forward by the council “do not recognise” the need for security.

The Conservative councillor for Fair Oak and Horton Heath said: “The proposal seems more concerned with parking at the Swan Centre and Itchen Valley Country Park than providing a secure environment in Eastleigh."

He added: “As the council is currently consulting on improving Eastleigh as a destination, and the nighttime economy must be a key part of that, we should be looking at encouraging people to visit the borough, and a secure environment is key.

“Having a CCTV system which can track potential offenders and help to nip trouble in the bud is essential to a vibrant community.”