Lancashire market town given go-ahead for £160,000 CCTV scheme - Edge Hill University students to benefit

An historic market town is to get a £160,000 investment to improve safety and security.

West Lancashire Borough Council has given the go ahead for a major upgrade to the existing CCTV system in Ormskirk town centre. As well as improving the cameras already in existance, there will be new camera installations at key points - including Edge Hill University’s ‘Red Routes' - with the aim of detecting and preventing anti-social behaviour and violence towards women and girls.   

Edge Hill invests £35m in new accomodation and Student Union building

The funding was acquired by the West Lancashire Community Safety Partnership (CSP) who submitted a bid to the Lancashire Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for funding allocation from the Home Office Safer Streets fund.   

Councillor Gareth Dowling, Deputy Leader of the Council and portfolio holder for Planning and Community Safety, said: "We all strive for Ormskirk to be a safe place for residents and visitors, but like all town centre areas, there can be an anti-social element negatively impacting our community. As a Council, we share the determination to tackle this effectively. Everyone deserves to feel safe on our streets, particularly women and girls, but all residents, students and visitors and we will do all we can to protect their welfare."

Paul Charlson, Chair of the West Lancashire Community Safety Partnership added: “The partnership is delighted to have secured this funding and this enhanced CCTV provision will allow us and our partner agencies to tackle ASB issues at source even more effectively so that the small minority who cause serious issues for our town centre residents, students and businesses will see that their behaviour will dealt with appropriately.”