Councillor Anthony Hunt (Leader) (Executive Member for Strategic Leadership) was scheduled to attend a meeting to consider a report regarding repairs to the CCTV network. The report recommended that Councillor Anthony Hunt approve a one-off allocation of funds from the Adults & Communities reserve to undertake essential maintenance on the CCTV network. Non-executive members of the council had the opportunity to comment on the report before a decision was made.

Repairs to CCTV Network

A report was prepared by Dave Leech, Deputy Chief Executive, regarding repairs to the CCTV network. The report noted that CCTV camera coverage benefits Pontypool¹ and Blaenavon² Town Centres, as well as the Garndiffaith³ and Trevethin⁴ neighbourhood centres.

The report stated that while the monitoring of the CCTV network is funded through a service level agreement (SLA) with Shared Resource Services, the maintenance and upgrading of cameras does not have an established core budget. It also noted that the condition of the camera network has deteriorated significantly over many years due to the absence of an annual budget contribution.

The report stated that officers were notified in May 2025 that a majority of the camera network required significant repair. The report noted that Town and Community Councils have made contributions on an emergency basis, but have not established annual funds to support the costs of the cameras.

The report stated that officers sourced quotes from the CCTV maintenance contractor for a one-off repair to bring the CCTV network back up to standard, with the total quoted cost being £16,650.

The report recommended that Councillor Anthony Hunt approve a one-off allocation of £16,650 from the Adults & Communities reserve to bring the CCTV network up to a functional condition. The report also noted that discussions would take place with all beneficiaries of the CCTV network to establish a long-term funding strategy for the network.

The report stated that following a decision, the Executive Team would engage with senior officers in Gwent Police⁵, the Police & Crime Commissioners Office and the Town & Community Councils to establish whether partners are prepared to make a funding contribution and to establish the value that partners receive from the CCTV network. Following these discussions, officers would prepare a report for the cabinet on long-term options for the maintenance of the networks.