No cash for Cricklade's CCTV bid

3:14pm Tuesday 3rd June 2008

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CIVIC leaders in Cricklade are furious they are the only North Wiltshire market town to have been snubbed for CCTV funding.

Project organisers have spent months developing plans for proposed system of nine cameras and submitted a bid for a share of £50,000 allocated for CCTV funding from the district council.

Malmesbury, Chippenham, Corsham, Calne, Wroughton Bassett and Wroughton were all told this week that they would receive funding but Cricklade missed out.

Many people hope that a CCTV system will reduce vandalism and other anti-social behaviour throughout the town.

Bob Jones, chairman of the Cricklade Business Association, has been highly involved in submitting the funding bid.

At a Cricklade Town Council meeting on Monday he told councillors: "I'm bitterly disappointed we have got nothing. Without any money we can't move forward."

Cllr Dot Avenell added: "We desperately needed this and we didn't go into it half-cocked and I want to know what they were thinking of.

David Tetlow, chairman of the town council, said: "The proposal can be improved and we can jump through the hoops that we need to then we can resubmit.

"We did the best we could and they are saying it's not up to scratch."

The town council intends to contact representatives from Malmesbury's CCTV project for advice.