Public meeting on Wed 7th June to discuss the Moseley ANPR cameras

There is the first of a series of public meetings to discuss the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) scheme in Moseley on Wednesday 9th June, 7pm, Kings Heath Primary School. This meeting is part of the monthly Moseley and Kings Heath Ward Committee.

Representatives from the police and the Birmingham Safer Partnership will be there present to discuss the scheme.

To provide to some background.
In early April, several large square based columns were erected throughout Moseley in residential road.

The locations are as follows:
- Salisbury Road (close to the Edgbaston Road junction)
Woodbridge Road (close to the Church Road junction)
Greenhill Road (close to the Billesley Lane junction)
Billesley Lane (close to the Dyott Road junction)
Yardley Wood Road

There are also two additional round based columns. Their locations are:
- Alcester Road (next to the Chantry Road junction)
- School Road (close to the Cotton Lane junction)

These columns will be fitted with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras. They were installed without any consultation with your local Councillors, the local police or local residents. As a result during April, Ernie, Emily and myself were contacted by angry residents not happy with these columns suddenly appearing in their roads.

Investigations by your Moseley and Kings Heath Ward Councillors have revealed these cameras are be part of a much wider scheme focusing on Sparkbrook Ward. The cameras have been installed by the Birmingham Safer Partnership (BSP) which is a joint committee of the police and senior Council officers.

Since April 2009, the BSP have been in regular discussions with the three Sparkbrook Ward Councillors about the introduction of this scheme.

The Sparkbrook area is now ringed by these ANPR cameras, of which the Moseley cameras form the southern border. The objective of the ANPR cameras is to monitor the vehicle registrations going in and out of the Sparkbrook area. The cameras will highlight to the police any stolen, untaxed or uninsured cars entering Sparkbrook. The ANPR cameras will also be linked to the police's central computer and identify any cars driven by terrorist suspects. All details of car registrations will be stored on the police central computer for two years.

Mindful, that the Sparkbrook Ward Councillors have not objected to the installation of the cameras. Your local Ward want understand Moseley residents views. Are residents happy with the installation of these cameras in principle; if the camera columns were blended in more, so that they don't stick out like a sore thumb, would they then be acceptable.