PLANS to spend £150,000 upgrading Blaenau Gwent’s ‘outdated’ CCTV network have been approved despite calls for greater scrutiny of the proposals.

More than half of the cameras across the borough are currently not working, with no functioning cameras in Ebbw Vale, Brynmawr, Blaina, Cwm or at Llanhilleth railway station and Rassau underpass.

On Wednesday, councillors voted to buy new high definition cameras capable of producing better image quality using wireless technology where available.

The number of cameras will drop from 63 to 32 – plus four deployable cameras – with 24/7 coverage replaced with a cheaper ‘record only’ system where evidence is retrieved at a later date.

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The move was described as a ‘positive step forward’ by Independent councillors but Labour members argued that the plans had not undergone enough scrutiny and asked for deferral.

Labour councillor Lisa Morgan said the group was actively working with Gwent Police and Gwent police and crime commissioner, Jeff Cuthbert, to secure some funding to pay towards the upgrade.

The report presented to councillors said that the police were unable to provide any capital funding for such a project.

“The PCC is very open to helping towards financing the upgrade, perhaps not all but maybe partially,” said Cllr Morgan.

“To discuss the report when in-depth talks are ongoing seems slightly too early and should have come through scrutiny.”

Since 2014, when the service transferred to Newport City Council, 254 pieces of CCTV evidence have been prepared and delivered to police.

Labour councillor John Morgan, discussing the 69 pieces of evidence recovered from cameras in Tredegar, said improvements were ‘essential’ amidst ‘massive place cuts’.

“We have massive problems with antisocial behaviour and we need to bring confidence back to those areas,” he said.

“How many of those cameras are in the right position, picking up incidents? This should go through scrutiny, so we can question the police on things such as camera positioning.”

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Labour councillor Haydn Trollope claimed that police investigating an attack on a council employee in Tredegar had to ask nearby pubs and shops if their cameras had picked something up as the nearest town centre camera was not working.

But Independent councillor Malcolm Day said that the issues ‘could be discussed until the cows came home’.

“This is a positive step forward,” said Cllr Day.

“People out there are being abused because of a lack of police, we need to put something in place and reassure our constituents.”

Fellow Independent councillor Wayne Hodgins said there would be an opportunity to engage with the public regarding camera placement.

“This is long overdue. Let’s try access a source of funding now because right now we’ve got nothing,” he added.

Council chair and Independent councillor Amanda Moore said councillors would be agreeing to the upgrade on principle with the ability to ‘work on the details later’.

The Labour amendment to defer the plans was defeated while the recommendation to approve the upgrade was passed.