Row erupts over CCTV

Public meeting at Jacksdale Community Centre with The Parish Council to discuss plans to put CCTV cameras in the centre. Pictured is Councillor Liz Mays.

Ashfield District councillor Liz Mays said she was contacted last week by people who use Jacksdale Community Centre who were unhappy that the cameras were installed without consultation.

Centre owners Selston Parish Council had put the cameras in but after complaints were made, the facility was closed for several days.

A heated meeting between the user groups and parish council was held on Wednesday where concerns were raised and resolved.

Following that meeting, the centre did re-open.

Coun Mays said: “People got agitated because the cameras were just put in without them being consulted.

“There was no notification of it, which they found upsetting.”

Groups that use the community centre include a mother and toddler group, a zumba group, art classes, a walking group and Rainbows.

They were informed during Wednesday’s meeting that the cameras can be switched off by centre users if they wish.

Rachel Scothern, the leader of the Jacksdale Mother and Toddler group, said that there needed to be better communication from the parish council about the CCTV.

“From a toddler group point of view, filming of children was a big safeguarding issue,” she said.

“We were never told until the meeting that we had the option of switching the cameras off.

“As we have got that option, we are quite happy to continue as long as it doesn’t deter anyone from coming.”

Coun Sam Wilson, the chairman of Selston Parish Council, said that the CCTV is needed because of incidents of vandalism and anti-social behaviour outside Jacksdale Community Centre.

He said that the internal cameras can be switched off by groups and letters explaining this were being sent out prior to them being activated.

However the groups had reacted before the letters had arrived, meaning they were ‘ill-informed’ at this point.

“There is a switch inside and every group will be given the option of whether they want it on or off,” he said.

“On the whole I was very pleased with the way the meeting went. From a big negative, there’s a lot of positives come back from it.”