CCTV installed in rural Cotswolds after a series of car thefts and break-ins

After a series of car thefts and break-ins, residents were feeling worried about their safety and brought their concerns to the Parish Council.  

Cotswold District Council, as part of the Cotswold Community Safety Partnership, allocated the Parish Council £8,300 to bring their CCTV proposal to life using funding from the Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund which is awarded through Gloucestershire's Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. 

Cllr Lisa Spivey, Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Safety, said, “I’m so pleased that the District Council have been able to make this happen through the Safer Streets Fund. It is definitely a worthwhile project that will help residents feel safe in their village. 

“The Safer Streets Fund is so important to enable us to support our residents and ensure our communities feel safe. Thank you to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for securing this funding, it really will make a huge difference to funding projects across our district!” 

Weston Sub-Edge Parish Council put together the proposal for CCTV throughout the village to help reassure residents and deter crime. 

The CCTV was installed at the end of last year and is now up and running smoothly. Weston Sub-Edge now has multiple high definition CCTV cameras dotted around the village along with ANPR technology. If any crimes are caught on the cameras, they will be reported to the Police to deal with appropriately. A launch event was held for the village on 18 January 2024. 

Cllr Paul Wyatt, Weston Sub-Edge Parish Councillor who put the CCTV proposal together, said, “It was great to see so many residents come out for the launch event and show such an interest in the new CCTV we have put up around the village. 

“It has taken a lot of hard work, but I'm so pleased the system is now up and running smoothly and will hopefully deter criminals from committing crime in our village. 

“Thank you to the District Council and the Police who have made this possible for us. I would really recommend other villages with safety concerns looking into having CCTV cameras installed.” 

Chris Nelson, Gloucestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, said, “I am pleased to see our successful funding go towards such a worthy cause. These cameras will provide reassurance to local residents as well as be a fantastic resource for our Constabulary. 

“The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire does a great job in securing extra funding from government to commission valuable projects like this one. The Safer Streets Funding has commissioned a large number of crime preventing initiatives across Gloucestershire for the last three years.” 

Cotswold District Council and Gloucestershire Police are working with the Town and Parish Councils across the district, on behalf of the Cotswold Community Safety Partnership, providing funding to implement initiatives that make our communities safer.