A new CCTV installation at Calne Recreation Ground is attracting attention, but its appearance is only the beginning of the questions it raises.
At first glance, the latest addition to the Recreation Ground looks as though part of a satellite has survived re-entry and crash-landed beside Calne’s new Ninja Trail. I am paraphrasing an acquaintance here (thanks to Sam for inspiring that image) but the comparison is understandable. The new CCTV installation is substantial, complete with two large solar panels that look capable of powering a small building for a few hours.
CCTV is needed—but was this the right solution?
I am the first to say that the Recreation Ground needs proper CCTV coverage. In fact, I made that very point when I was a serving councillor and sat on the committee responsible for overseeing facilities such as this. Even so, it is reasonable to ask whether a less expensive and less obtrusive solution could have been found with more thought and planning.
For example, could the existing camera at the end of the old depot shed have been replaced and mounted on a modest pole, giving it a clearer view of the parts of the Ninja Trail that were previously obscured? The new installation certainly makes a strong visual statement, perhaps in the hope that its presence alone will deter wrongdoing. Yet people intent on causing trouble often obscure their faces, and CCTV used in isolation may have limited deterrent value without supporting measures such as motion-activated lighting.
Residents deserve clarity about privacy
Some residents on Anchor Road are concerned about privacy because the installation is visible from their gardens. Their understandable question is simple: if they can see the cameras, what can the cameras see? To date, they say they have received no assurances from Calne Town Council about how their privacy will be protected. Residents of the Glebe must also be considered, along with people living in flats on Forman Street and in properties around Woodruff Square.
This concern feels particularly pressing because a recent report presented by Calne Town Council stated that its current CCTV system does not meet data protection and UK GDPR requirements and requires a significant and costly update. That raises a further question: did the system ever meet those requirements?
Planning and accountability
I have also heard from another source that the installation may require planning permission because of its size, but that permission was not sought before it was installed. If that is correct, the council may now need to apply retrospectively. A refusal could turn the project into a very costly mistake.
To be clear, I am not pointing the finger at individual councillors. Councillors rely on council officers (the paid employees) to manage projects and provide complete, accurate information so that they can make informed decisions. However, for an installation of this scale, it is disappointing that questions do not appear to have been asked by councillors, and immediate neighbours do not appear to have been contacted in advance and given clear information about its purpose and the safeguards protecting their privacy.
What should happen next?
Calne Town Council now needs to explain clearly what the cameras can capture, how footage will be managed, and what measures are in place to protect nearby residents. It should also needs to clarify the planning position and the reasons this particular design was chosen.