OKEHAMPTON Town councillors have requested more information from the town?s chamber of trade about what exactly becoming a ?lead agency? in the delivery of a CCTV operation would entail. At a meeting of the council?s parks committee last Tuesday members were asked to consider an invitation from the chamber to become the lead agency in a partnership to secure cameras to help in the fight against criminal damage and anti-social behaviour in the town centre. Town clerk Don Bent told councillors he felt the information available was ?a little inadequate at this stage? to enable the council formally to endorse a new role in relation to the scheme. Mr Bent was asked by councillors to write to the chamber of trade requesting more information about the financial position and legal implications of the town council becoming lead agency for the project. Cllr Mark Slater said: ?Do we have any idea what becoming the ?lead agency? actually involves? I think as the town council, we should help enable this scheme, that is beyond doubt, but we need more detail first. Cllr Frances Luxton also expressed concern: ?If the chamber have done so much work, why have they decided now to put it at our door?? She said she felt ?great anxiety? about the council agreeing to become lead agency until this role was properly outlined. The proposal to place around a dozen cameras in hotspot areas around the town centre has been developed over the last year by the chamber. The chamber would like to involve other agencies in an attempt to get away from the impression that the system would be run by and for town traders, and to demonstrate it would benefit the whole community.
