Vandal-hit Evenwood Cricket Club in uproar over CCTV snub

A BID to install CCTV at a vandal-hit cricket club has been snubbed – despite the funding already being in place.

Members of Evenwood Cricket Club have been told their grant-funded camera system cannot be installed after the trustees of the welfare ground, Evenwood Parish Council, stepped in.

The council has cited human rights concerns and the need for a consultation before any possible installation. Club member, groundsman and player Luke Bannister was furious and said he would be sure the grant money would be lost.

“It feels like they’re doing this so they no longer have us as a headache,” he said.

“Barnard Castle Cricket Club are backed by their council 100 per cent and there are welfare grounds like Ryhope and Mainsforth which look great.

“So many people are trying to help this club – the only people trying to stop it are the parish council. I just hope nothing gets stolen because if it does, that’s it.”

Thousands of pounds worth of equipment is stored at the club which has been a victim of vandalism and break-ins in the last two years. The County Durham Community Foundation granted the club £5,000 from its Community Safety Fund – £1,400 of which is earmarked for a mounted CCTV camera.

Mr Bannister said he had told Evenwood Parish Council about the camera ten weeks ago and was verbally assured there wouldn’t be a problem.

But parish clerk Martin Clark said the council had not been told about this bid until recently. He said it would be “impossible” to follow proper procedure in the timescale given.

He added: “The trustees of the welfare ground are the parish council and, as a tier of local government, it has an obligation under the Freedom of Information Act, the Protection of Freedoms Act and the Human Rights Act 1998, to adhere to Surveillance Camera Code of Practice.

“Basically, it has to do things properly.”

Mr Bannister was unimpressed.

“He has quoted the Human Rights Act – are you for real?” he added.

“I am fuming – I just cannot believe it.

“There are alarm bells ringing – it feels like they are going around actively trying to block grants.”

Mr Clark said the council had to carry out privacy impact assessments to ensure things were done correctly.

“This more recent grant application was a surprise – we knew nothing about it until we were told the cricket club had made a successful bid,” added Mr Clark.

“The Welfare Ground is a public open space – the infrastructure of the Welfare Ground is not the cricketers’ responsibility, it’s the trustees’.

“It’s not about covering the cricketers’ equipment because they said it was for the whole community – in that case it would be children playing and people walking dogs. We need to be sure these people know they’re under surveillance.”

The village cricket club and its parish council have a long been at loggerheads over rent, security and ownership of the grounds.

Mr Bannister said the Durham Cricket League club has gone from strength to strength this year with successful grant applications for covers, roll-on nets and three bags of kit.

He added: “The parish council are in charge of that field and they are meant to look after it. I am giving up hundreds of hours a year to cut it – who is the idiot?

“If we have another cutter stolen that’s it – we cannot get another one.

“I just cannot get my head around it.”