Newtownabbey businesses in line for CCTV funding

Councillors formally invited applications for the first phase of the initiative at a meeting of the borough council on Monday evening.

In Antrim, 33 town centre businesses are eligible to apply; 29 in Randalstown; 27 in Glengormley; 20 in Ballyclare and 15 in Crumlin at an estimated cost of £2,500 per business as part of a programme to support economic recovery in the borough.

Seventy-five per cent of the cost is to be met by the borough council with each business expected to foot the remainder of the bill.

A total number of 286 expressions of interest have been received.

The CCTV grant is to be made available to businesses in the borough following an increase in anti-social behaviour and crime in town centres and in consultation with the PSNI.

Participating businesses will be required to commit to providing police with access to any footage recorded on request.

The PSNI says that anti-social behaviour increased during lockdown from 3,752 reports in the borough between May 2019/20 to 5,202 during the same period in 20/21.

In September, eight of 11 public facing CCTV cameras being replaced in Newtownabbey were to be were to be positioned in Glengormley town centre area, starting at Ballyclare Road. The local authority will be responsible for monitoring town centre cameras and facilities at Mossley Mill.

Previously, an audit of the local authority’s 415 cameras carried out in 2017/18 found CCTV in the “wider Glengormley area” to be “very poor”.

Concerns include “poor quality” of images and “poor or no images at night time”. The report also noted frequent breakdowns with replacement parts said to be “obsolete” and equipment “becoming impossible to maintain”.

A spate of attacks at Glengormley War Memorial during which poppy wreaths were destroyed prompted a fresh appeal by councillors for “working” CCTV. Newly-installed bike stands were vandalised at the Lilian Bland Community Park in Glengormley causing £450 worth of damage.

However, the replacement of the council’s entire CCTV is not expected to be completed for at least six years,

Antrim and Newtownabbey Mayor Councillor Billy Webb has said previously: “The council works closely with businesses across the borough and some have highlighted their concerns about localised crime and anti-social behaviour.

“We want to do what we can to support local businesses and economy, making our borough as safe a place as possible for our residents and visitors as well as giving our business owners peace of mind that their premises are protected. Businesses have had a tough time over the past 18 months and by making the borough a safer place, we hope this will aid them in the recovery stages following the pandemic.”

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter

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