TRANSFERRING Slough’s CCTV operations to Thames Valley Police (TVP) could net the council a £500,000 saving this year.

The local authority has revealed the handover of TVP in taking over the running of the borough’s public areas CCTV from April 1 could save £630,000 in total.

But due to an in-year pressure to migrate the service, which the council has been operating for the last 20 years, it will only net a half a million-pound saving for 2023/24.

Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber outlined plans last year to create a centralised CCTV system that covers the whole Thames Valley in a bid to increase efficiency and reduce cost.

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Slough’s executive director for place and community Richard West said: “We are supportive of the idea of them [TVP] taking on the CCTV. They see the benefit is there and it is their aspiration to control CCTV across the Thames Valley.”

There may be an interim period where TVP pay for the council to continue to provide public-facing CCTV until they are ready to mobilise their new system.

While TVP could be operating the public-facing CCTV, internal-facing CCTV at council buildings, depots, and on-board vehicle cameras will be recorded footage only and will be managed by council officers.

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The proposal is part of a £23m saving target for 2023/24 the council, which effectively declared bankruptcy in 2021, needs to make to stay financially afloat.

Councillors sitting on the joint customer and community scrutiny panel and place scrutiny panel heard about the proposal on Wednesday, February 1.

A final decision on the CCTV migration to TVP will be made by cabinet on February 27.