PLANS to cut £80,000 from the borough’s CCTV network have been delayed.

Southend Council has extended its consultation on the future of the cameras until March 7.

The Echo reported yesterday that the council was due to meet this week to discuss proposals to make savings on the CCTV budget.

It was not clear whether the savings would be made by axing the jobs of operators – who monitor the cameras 24 hours a day – or by reducing the areas covered by the devices.

In a statement, Dipti Patel, Southend Council’s head of public protection, said: “We are currently consulting with staff over plans to make £80,000 savings from the CCTV budget.

“These savings will have to be made from streamlining working arrangements and we have made a number of proposals.

“We want to be able to provide an enhanced 24-hour service which gives us the greatest possible degree of CCTV coverage, but do it more efficiently than before.

“At the request of the trade unions, we have agreed to extend the consultation deadline by a further week, to March 7.

“We believe it has been an open and effective consultation which has given our colleagues every opportunity to comment on the proposals and their views will be taken into account.”