Plans by LibDem controlled Eastleigh Borough Council to remove every CCTV camera from the town have been foiled, thanks to action by local Conservatives.
In a move which would have seen the protection offered by CCTV cameras in central Eastleigh disappear, the cash-strapped borough council decided last year to remove all fifty cameras - a decision widely condemned by local residents, businesses and safety campaigners alike.
To make matters worse, the council announced this decision very publicly, giving the green light to criminals across our constituency and putting Eastleigh resident’s livelihoods and safety at risk.
Lack of financial planning at the council meant that as the now-outdated cameras have come to the end of their life, there was no money in the pot to replace them.
The council had the option to seek the money from the Conservative Police and Crime commissioner Donna Jones in October 2024, but the Liberal Democrats determination to put politics before the people meant the Chief Executive of the council chose not to.
A petition started last month by local Conservative parish councillor Ben Burcombe-Filer demanding that Eastleigh Council rethink its decision, gained over thousand signatures from locals in less than a fortnight, making the views of Eastleigh’s residents clear.
The council says it’s ‘not obligated to provide CCTV’ - but neither is it obligated to waste millions on ill-considered housing projects like One Horton Heath. It’s about time the council listened to the wishes of the people who put them in office.
The humiliated council has now been forced to backtrack and ask Donna Jones, Conservative Police & Crime Commissioner for Hampshire & the Isle of Wight, for £50,000 towards new CCTV cameras.
Ms. Jones has received the request for support very positively, commenting: "Following the funding offer made to Eastleigh Borough Council, we have received a business case request for £50k to upgrade the CCTV cameras in the town centre... The office of the PCC is hopeful for a solution in due course.”
This is excellent news from Donna and, thanks to the Conservatives, will hopefully ensure that Eastleigh residents continue to be protected by CCTV cameras.
If you wish to add your name to the petition to make sure Eastleigh council delivers, please do so at https://www.change.org/p/stop-eastleigh-borough-council-turning-off-50-….
