CONTROVERSIAL plans to install CCTV cameras in Nelson could be revived this week, after a switch in political power in the borough.

Campaigners pressing for the cameras to tackle town centre crime and encourage more visitors to the town have wasted no time in taking advantage of the Liberals' loss of council control.

The controversial issue will be back on the agenda tomorrow when a Labour motion calling for investigations into all sources of funding for cameras and a halt on spending on town centre wardens, council shops and an energy efficiency scheme will be debated by councillors during the authority's annual meeting. If Labour is backed by the Tories, who also support CCTV, they will overturn the Liberals, who have previously argued that security cameras are too expensive and backed other methods of fighting crime.

The motion by Labour group leader Councillor Azhar Ali, instructs officers to investigate all funding mechanisms for the introduction and successful implementation of CCTV in Pendle and report to the next policy committee; that, pending the report, the council takes no action in relation to introducing town centre wardens, council shops and an energy efficiency scheme at this stage and that the council seeks support for any bids for government money from MP Gordon Prentice.

The wardens were pushed through as an alternative to CCTV by the Liberals, when they still held a majority, during the budget-making process earlier this year. The budget included £50,000 set aside for a council shop in Brierfield and £25,000 for wardens.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.