Meadowside Freehold Ltd – CCTV policy

The installation of video cameras at Meadowside was discussed at a special residents meeting held on 23 January 2024 following several security incidents on site. One event in particular alarmed Meadowside residents, when one late afternoon in November 2023 some intruders (it was later found out that they broke into a ground floor flat) threatened two residents with knives in the main driveway.

The plan to install CCTV on site was largely supported by residents. Two cameras have been installed – one at the main gate and one pointing to the rubbish bin area. Both are clearly signposted.

As discussed with residents, the MFL Board agreed that cameras should mainly act as deterrent, signalling to possible intruders (including those regularly visiting our bike shed) that the site is not wholly unprotected. In the case of a security incident, however, video footage may help trace when and how intruders accessed the site and provide some useful information.

CCTV may also discourage non-authorised parking and fly tipping, but this is not the reason cameras were installed. At the moment, footage is not being monitored to track who parks at Meadowside or uses rubbish the bins.

Footage will only be accessed on an ad-hoc basis in the case of security incidents. It is collected and stored in compliance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. It is automatically deleted after about 8 weeks (depending on image resolution). The two cameras on site only record video footage and no sound recordings are captured.

The MFL Board will periodically assess CCTV effectiveness and review this policy in consultation with residents. If you have any questions or comments concerning the operation of cameras and related data protection issues, please contact the MFL Board via the Managing Agents at info@wallakers.com.