Dudley Council to step up car park security with £130,000 CCTV boost in targeted areas

Highways bosses are planning to invest thousands of pounds over the next two years to replace the old and outdated camera network, with sites in Stourbridge, Halesowen, Dudley and Kingswinford targeted.

The current system has not been replaced in more than a decade but the new cameras, which are part of a CCTV roll-out across the borough, are high-spec digital devices capable of capturing pin-sharp images over hundreds of metres.

Under phase one of the programme, the Birmingham Street car park in Stourbridge will have three replacement cameras this financial year.

There are also longer term plans for replacement programmes at multi-storey car parks at Ryemarket in Stourbridge and Pool Road, Halesowen, as well as car parks in King Street, Dudley. and Manor Park, Kingswinford.

Councillor Damian Corfield, cabinet member for highways and environmental services, said: "It’s really important we continue to make our car parks as safe as they can be. This investment is about replacing the technology to bring these cameras up to date. People have the right to park in safety when visiting our borough."

Four years ago council bosses took the decision to upgrade the CCTV network across the borough as part of a £1.7m investment. Since then, dozens of key sites have been upgraded with the state-of-the-art system.

Councillor Laura Taylor-Childs, cabinet member responsible for CCTV, said: "These new cameras certainly make people feel safer and send a strong warning to criminals that there is nowhere to hide. We will continue to invest in this important area of our work making people feel safe throughout the borough."

The matter will be discussed by cabinet next week.