Pay parking shortfall puts Newbridge CCTV plan in jeopardy
MEMBERS of Newbridge Town Council heard that the council has "fallen well short" on the surplus estimated from pay parking in Newbridge this year.
As a result a number of projects earmarked for development in Newbridge from the pay parking kitty will be postponed until a huge n438,643 deficit is retrieved.
And it looks like the pre-approved installation of CCTV security cameras for Newbridge, at a cost of n180,000, will be just one of nine projects put on the long finger.
Cllr Pat Black requested an update on the installation CCTV for Newbridge at this month's town council meeting.
"My fear is that we have missed the boat on national government funding for CCTV," said Cllr Pat Black. "Nothing happened on this although this is very important for Newbridge. We did all the preparation work and Sergeant Seamus Rothwell advised the town council exactly where the cameras should go."
The meeting heard that CCTV cameras for Newbridge are included in the projects covered by pay parking monies.
"My understanding was that this town council agreed the different projects for 2008 and the project of CCTV cameras was prioritised and agreed," he added. "For the last three months I've been trying to establish what happened there only because there was funding at national level. Newbridge is crying out for CCTV. It is one project this council should push and shove. The petty crime out there is serious enough to affect the quality of people's lives."
Cllr Mick Deeley inferred that some monies raised through pay parking may have been spent in the past outside the town boundary. The town manager was quick to deny this."We have to be very clear that money has always been spent within the town boundary," he said.
Meanwhile, five projects out of a total of 17 earmarked for Newbridge this year have been completed out of the pay parking surplus and a further three have been described as being "in hand".
However, town clerk Anne Greene confirmed that no more of the listed projects will be carried out until the account is balanced.
According to figures provided by Newbridge Town Council the funds raised at the end of 2008 came to n1.9 million against an expenditure of n2.43 million giving a deficit of n438,643. Kildare County Council estimated n890,000 for pay parking in Newbridge in 2008 but the actual return on that was almost half that at n456,703.
Spokesman for Kildare County Council Charlie Talbot said the list will be up for review once more in October. "When we have the funding available we will carry out the works," he said.
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Thursday 17 May 2012
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