The Development Applications Board (DAB) have approved a series of applications to install telegraph poles to hold new police CCTV cameras.

A total of seven such poles were given final approval during a meeting of the board on August 13, regarding locations in five different parishes.

In the west end, telegraph poles were approved at the Royal Naval Field in Sandys, along with the junction of Middle Road and both Khyber Pass and Cobbs Hill Road in Warwick.

In the east end, poles are set to be erected at the junction of Cut Road and Old Military Road in St George’s and three points on North Shore Road — by the junctions with Middle Road in Smiths and the junctions of Wilkinson Avenue and Fractious Street in Hamilton Parish.

According to the minutes of the meeting, the board reportedly questioned whether the cameras would be fixed or if they could be rotated by the operator, potentially used in a way that could impede the privacy of nearby homeowners. The minutes noted: “After the meeting technical officers contacted the applicant who confirmed that most of the cameras are to be fixed, however, a few that are positioned near large open spaces would be designed to be rotated by the operator.”

Noting that several similar applications have been submitted technical officers requested consideration be given to permitting an early release of its decision and if the board would be minded to permit technical officers to present all outstanding files for the remaining locations to the Development Application Committee (DAC).

More than 20 planning applications have been submitted by the CCS Group Ltd, a subsidiary of the BAS Group of Companies, relating to the police CCTV system, including five in Pembroke (four of which are proposed inside the City of Hamilton), four in Devonshire and four on Cobbs Hill Road.

The DAB resolved to support the Planning Department’s recommendation to approve the applications with an early release and confirmed all remaining applications could be taken to the DAC.