LAUNCESTON is to have two CCTV cameras, town councillors decided last week.

After months of presentations and discussions Launceston's councillors decided that having two CCTV cameras, costing the council £15,000, was the best option available to them.

One of the cameras will be situated at the White Hart to cover the Square and the other will be near Kivells to cover Southgate Street and Market Street and to provide continuity for the Square.

At a meeting on Tuesday, March 17 Cllr Connie Geach said: "We have to make a decision this evening. We cannot delay a decision any longer."

Councillors discussed a number of options before making their decision. Cllr Mary Williams proposed the council "say no" at the moment and "wait and see" if other funding could be found in the future.

Cllr Rob Tremain said what a "tremendous deterrent" the CCTV camera had been in the castle grounds and he proposed the council agreed to the installation of two cameras.

Deputy Mayor Paul O'Brien said that although the sums of money obtained from other sources were "not great", the council could not deny that a great deal of effort had gone into the proposals. He said there was evidence throughout the country, including the town's own castle grounds, that CCTV "does work". He said he would "love to see a four camera system" however he added: "That kind of money is well and truly beyond our capability."

Cllr O'Brien also proposed that the council agree to two cameras as it was "the best that is available to us." He added: "I would argue that this is a viable scheme, one which is within our ability to fund."

He believed that once the infrastructure for the cameras was in place other parts of the town could "tap into it." Cllr Connie Geach seconded his proposal for two cameras.

'Support in town'

The Mayor, Cllr Eric Chapman, proposed the council agree to 'option one' which was for one camera: "I will support option one, option two (two cameras) is too much money." Cllr Graham Facks-Martin seconded Cllr Chapman's proposal for one camera.

There was 'support' in the town for the scheme, said Cllr Brian Hogan who had spoken to various business owners. He too supported the proposal for two cameras: "I think if we are going to do the options we have to do option two. It's big money setting up the system whether we have one camera or two cameras. The only difference is £5,000 once the system is set up."

Cllr Colin Warne proposed the council "don't have anything to do with it."

When the options were voted on, two councillors were in favour of one camera with the rest against, four voted in favour of not having any with the rest against, and ten councillors voted in favour of two cameras.

Therefore the proposal for two cameras was carried.

PC Matt Kingdon from Launceston Police Station broke down the costings of two cameras. The town council will pay £15,000, £2,500 will come from local businesses, £3,500 from Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, £2,000 from the Community Safety Partnership, and the Chamber of Commerce have offered £500.

PC Kingdon said they intended to build on the success of the CCTV camera in the castle grounds. "In no way do we intend to stop at two. We'd like to have the town centre covered. We'd like to build on its success and increase the number of cameras. The system we've chosen enables us to do that.

"It opens it up to any private businesses or anyone like that who wants to come on board."

The system will be monitored from Launceston Police Station by members of the police volunteer scheme.