CCTV in Dawlish faced its final hurdle this week when Teignbridge planners met to discuss permission for the scheme.
They were considering five applications for cameras at locations including the shoppers' car park in Lawn Terrace, Barton Hill car park, the Lawn and Tuck's Plot. All the applications were made by Dawlish Town Council and are recommended for approval by Teignbridge's head of planning services, Steve Robinson.
Each will involve the erection of six-metre poles and cameras within the town's conservation area. Mr Robinson had urged that consideration was given to the impact the poles and underground cabling might have on mature trees and had recommended that the town council carried out a full assessment before a decision to grant permission was made.
The scheme was first mooted in 2003 in a bid to reduce crime. It will cost the town council a total of £70,000 – money that came from the recent sale of the Leonard Lamb Centre.
At a meeting of the town council earlier this month a resident, Peter Harry, was asked to leave after disrupting proceedings, claiming the project was 'an affront to civilised values'. Another resident, Keith Sharp, thinks that the town does not need CCTV, describing crime in Dawlish as a 'virtual absence'.
Both he and Mr Harry also believe that not enough consultation with townsfolk has taken place. 'It was also necessary to establish that there was a fear of crime in the area,' said Mr Sharp.
'As the statistics were not high enough to warrant this level of spending on their (Dawlish Town Council) own.'
Mr Harry added: 'This project does nothing to address the causes of crime. The only people to benefit are those who supply the equipment. All the rest of us who object to having their human rights abused are the victims. It is a complete affront to civilised values and should be abandoned forthwith.'
If permission was granted yesterday, the council hoped to have CCTV up and running in the town by the end of June.