Funding for old Midlands speed cameras to be axed

The future of old-style speed cameras in the West Midlands has been thrown into question after transport chiefs from councils across the region voted to stop funding them.

Scheduled payments worth £950,000 from local authorities to pay for the speed cameras are to be scrapped for 2011/12 after reductions in Government grants left a shortfall. Councillors on the West Midlands transport sub-committee say the wet film technology used in older cameras is outdated, and claim West Midlands Police are not co-operating in discussing their future.

The force was today unavailable to comment on the claims. At a meeting yesterday the committee set aside alternate funding of around £500,000 for police to spend on new speed deterrent technology, including flashing warning signs.

The committee has agreed to continue funding the West Midlands Road Safety Partnership, which includes councils, the fire service and police, and oversees all road safety schemes. The councillors also backed plans from the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) to increase the fee charged for speed awareness courses from £60 to £80.

Acpo also wants more drivers caught speeding to be offered the course without getting automatic points, raising up to £420,000 a year — up from £142,500 under the current system. It would unlock extra funding for cameras.

But a final decision must be reached by the police, who want to reduce the expense of running 304 speed cameras in the West Midlands, 86 of which are already "dummies".

Only three cameras in Wolverhampton and 34 regionally are frequently used, with operating times limited to 15 days a month. That is now likely to be reduced to 10 days a month.

Committee vice-chairman and Stourbridge councillor Les Jones said: "The partnership has been successful and we want it to continue, but we're no longer in a position to simply commit to funding in this way."

Chairman, Aldridge councillor Tom Ansell, added: "We're waiting for the police to come back to us but they have been reluctant." Birmingham councillor Jerry Evans told the meeting that wet film was "obsolete".

By Alex Campbell