"Very Stubbon" JPC over CCTV

DETERMINED members of the Henley and Beaudesert Society have pledged to continue their battle to ensure the "most fitting" style of CCTV camera is installed in the town, despite parish councillors dismissing their pleas, writes Philippa Prankard.

Six members of the society, which aims to protect the character of Henley as a small historic town, turned out to a meeting of Beaudesert and Henley Joint Parish Council on Monday night. They wished to discuss the parish council's choice of CCTV camera after writing a letter to the council in April and receiving no reply. The letter, which urges the parish council to change their preferred choice of camera to a second option society members feel would be more fitting in the town, was read out at the meeting followed by the question - what do councillors plan to do about it? A lively debate ensued. Parish councillors submitted their CCTV preferences to Stratford District Council following a meeting in February.

At that meeting councillors voted to erect one CCTV camera on top of St John's Parish Church in High Street and another on a lamp-post outside the police station. They also chose their preferred camera design.

The Herald reported at the time there was a sense that the council had already made up their minds before the meeting, leaving residents' comments unheeded.

Council chairman Cllr Les Goodman said on Monday night that the type of camera was still under consideration by the district council and once a decision had been made it would come back to the parish council before going through the plauning permission process.

John Stott, spokesperson for the society, argued it still left the parish council's preference standing and he did not see why parish councillors could not let the district council know the society's opinion on the matter. He added that he felt if a poll was taken across the town, the majority of residents would choose the design not favoured by the council. Cllr Goodman said the council made decisions, on behalf of the town, which they saw fit. He added that the society had had a chance to give their opinions at the meeting in February. Mr Stott retorted that the society had not had a chance to have their say over the camera design at the meeting because they had not received the designs until afterwards.

Cllr Goodman called an end to the discussion and said the society should discuss this again when the matter was referred back to the parish council from the district council.

Mr Stott told the Herald after the meeting that he felt that the society's argument had fallen on deaf ears. He said it was difficult to know what to do next as the parish council were very "stubborn" but he wanted the society to stay ahead of the game.

He said members were considering contacting the district council planning officers themselves and carrying out a survey on the streets of Henley to see what design residents would prefer.

Report by Philippa Prankard - Stratford Herald - 22nd May 2009