The "New Deal for Communities" Board, which oversees the £50 million regeneration scheme in the Little Horton area, justifies it's decision to install CCTV surveillance in the area on a report it commissioned by consultants Mason Communications. When KDIS asked to see the report, Administration Manager David Mosley said that the board "do not feel it appropriate for you to have a copy."
He later added:
"The New Deal for Communities Board are of the opinion that the feasibility study is confidential as it was produced solely for the Board in connection with a CCTV bid."The decision not to provide you with a copy of the feasibility study was discussed at a recent full meeting of the New Deal for Communities Board.
"The report was produced solely for the New Deal for Communities Directors who are the only people allowed to see the report."
Mosley also refused to divulge the identies of the board members:
"The Board are unwilling for me to divulge their personal details, they have instructed me to advise you that all communication should be directed through me as Administration and Finance Manager."
The "Little Germnay Urban Village Company" which was set up to oversee the £20 million regeneration of the area, also commissioned a study by Mason Communications which it also uses to justify its plans to install a CCTV surveillance system. But they too refused KDIS access.
Project Director Nigel Rice said:
"The Board resolved that your request to have a copy of the CCTV feasibility study be rejected because of the confidential nature of the material [eg. detailed police crime and incident statistics] included within the document."Similarly, the Board had previously resolved that the minutes of their meetings were confidential because of the [frequently] highly commercial nature of matters being discussed [eg. names of specific developers, properties and sums of money]. Unfortunately they are not therefore available for public viewing."