"Traffic" CCTV Cameras in Bradford

(1) Fox Corner, - on post. Digital signal sent via ISDN line to Urban Traffic Control centre, Leeds.

(2) Manningham Lane/Drewton Rd. - on post.

(3) Hamm Strasse/Midland Rd, - on post.

(4) Main A650 Airedale Rd, overlooking Hamm Strasse - on post.

(5) Main A650 Airedale Rd/North St junction, close to Barkerend Rd - on post.

(6) Main A650 Airedale Rd/Leeds Rd, junction - on post.

(7) Main A650 Airedale Rd./Wakefield Rd Roundabout - on post.

(8) Evans Towers off Manchester Rd, fixed to top of block of flats.

(9) Princes Way/Jacobs Well junction, outside the central library - on pole.

(10) Thornton Rd./Godwin St. junction, outside the Odeon cinema - on pole.

(11) Westgate/Godwin St junction, by corner of Arndale centre - on pole.

(12) Sunbridge Rd./Tyrel St junction - on pole.

(13) Forster Square, at end of Cheapside - on pole.

(14) Petergate/Hall Ings junction - on pole.

Background.

The first CCTV cameras to go up in the district were officially set-up for traffic control functions. In the late 1970's, pre-Jamie Bulger, the civil libertarian concerns were still paramount and traffic control was the only surveillance function that was politically acceptable.

Around 60 such cameras were set up throughout the county over a period of a few years, beginning in 1978. They were funded and operated under the auspices of the West Yorkshire County Council, through an organisation called "West Yorkshire Highways, Engineering and Technical Services" (WYHETS).

13 cameras were installed in Bradford, with the main operations room based in the Tyrls police HQ, which receives real-time images. "Slow scan" images are also fed through to the Urban Traffic Control centre in Leeds. The civilian operator is currently provided by WYHETS. The images are not subject to continuous recording, although images can be recorded as required.

Another camera is situated at Shipley Fox corner, which feeds directly through to Leeds.

On April 1, 1998, the WYHETS arrangement was discontinued, with each local authority area taking direct responsibility for the cameras in its area. Leeds and Kirklees quickly amalgamated the systems into their own Crime-surveillance CCTV systems. Wakefield "mothballed" it's 4 cameras.

Council officers at Bradford plan to amalgamate the 13 Bradford and the single Shipley camera into Bradford's own CCTV surveillance system in the near future, as part of a package of upgrading the city centre cameras and building a new control centre, probably under City Hall.

Clearly, at the moment, the "traffic" cameras are not covered by any safeguards or rules.

The police make use of the traffic cameras for general surveillance purposes. In particular, the cameras at the end of Thornton Road (by the Odeon) and Sunbridge Road are used to monitor events in Centenary Square, such as the May Day events.

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