A member of Newport City Council’s cabinet has dismissed assertions that the local authority allowed its CCTV system to deteriorate significantly because of insufficient funding.

Elected officials have approved an additional £150,000 for improvements to the city’s surveillance cameras, following £300,000 allocated last autumn.

Conservative member Will Routley described the decision to invest heavily in CCTV enhancements as evidence of long-term inadequate funding and operational shortcomings.

He stated that malfunctioning cameras have been left non-functional due to a complete absence of scheduled upkeep, while budget reductions had left minimal personnel operating the CCTV control centre.

However, Jason Hughes, the cabinet member responsible for communities within the Labour-controlled authority, refuted suggestions that CCTV staffing numbers had been cut.

He indicated that the CCTV operation is staffed by appropriately qualified personnel, though he acknowledged the infrastructure needed investment and updating, which he said was precisely what was now occurring.

During the period of austerity, the city experienced funding reductions exceeding £100 million, meaning upgrades had been challenging across services, Hughes explained.

The situation had now been acknowledged and addressed, with the cabinet approving capital expenditure to modernise the CCTV platform, replace obsolete equipment, enhance reliability, and enable future camera and technology improvements. This represented a clear investment in the service rather than a reduction, he stated.

Routley insisted that the CCTV provision had been diminished previously and questioned whether the council had conducted any risk assessments regarding staffing and funding.

The council continuously reviews its systems, but the straightforward fact remains that the authority has not decreased CCTV staffing over time, Hughes responded. The current upgrades are necessary because the infrastructure has aged and will malfunction as it continues to deteriorate, which is why the upgrade is being undertaken.

The cabinet member noted that previous UK Government austerity policies had resulted in reductions to police officer numbers.

Significant steps are being taken now, which represents the key distinction, he said. The authority is implementing necessary improvements by upgrading the system to make it significantly better and safer for Newport residents while ensuring it remains current and adaptable for the future.

After the meeting, Matthew Evans, leader of the Conservative group, said he had previously written to the cabinet member to inquire whether the £300,000 CCTV improvement programme announced last year had been put into effect.

Evans reported that the cabinet’s reply indicated preliminary work was in progress and the upgrade would be completed this year to enhance reliability, functionality and response capability throughout the city centre.