New Forest CCTV network to be expanded
The District Council's approved funding for 21 extra cameras
An expansion and upgrade of the CCTV network across the New Forest has been signed off by council leaders.
New Forest District Council is investing ÂŁ145,000 to install an additional 21 cameras in rural and urban locations.
The project is supported by a further £33,448 from the Home Office’s Safer Streets fund.
At a cabinet meeting, Cllr Dan Poole, portfolio holder for community, safety and wellbeing, said he was delighted to bring the proposals before colleagues.
He said: “It received unanimous support at the housing and communities panel week before last and it’s an excellent news story with us expanding to areas, particularly rural areas which haven’t had coverage before, so I’m very very happy about that and fully support it.”
Richard Knott, strategic director for housing and communities, said extensive work had been done on selecting the new locations in eight towns and villages.
That includes four new cameras for Fordingbridge - two at Roundhill car park, with others on the High Street/Shaftesbury Street and on Bridge Street.
Others are planned for Bransgore, Fawley, Brockenhurst, Lyndhurst, New Milton, Ringwood and Totton.
The council currently operates 56 cameras across the district.
Mr Knott said the council’s overall £300,000 capital budget for the project allowed for a second phase to upgrade 29 existing analogue cameras to digital capability after the new camera sites were up and running.
He told councillors this would reduce the annual network costs linked with the transmission of footage from the cameras to the control room at the Appletree Court headquarters.
Cllr Jeremy Heron, portfolio holder for finance and corporate, said there was a clear methodology to selecting the new camera sites and it was an “outstanding outcome” for the district.
A cabinet report said in 2023, the council’s CCTV system had been directly involved in footage of more than 750 recorded offences, with a further 300 so far this calendar year.