Selwood Housing, in partnership with Wiltshire Council Warminster Area Board, Warminster Town Council and Wiltshire Police, has successfully completed a project to install CCTV cameras on Warminster’s Westleigh Estate in response to residents’ concerns about safety and anti-social behaviour.
As part of Selwood Housing’s Priority Neighbourhoods Project for 2023/24, this initiative was driven by community feedback, aiming to make the estate a safer and more welcoming place for residents.
‘Priority Neighbourhoods’ is an ongoing programme where Selwood Housing works with local communities to improve neighbourhoods in need of support. Each year, a specific area is selected based on factors such as reports of antisocial behaviour, fly-tipping, and community feedback. The project involves engagement activities, events, and community action days aimed at creating lasting positive change for those communities.
For the 2023/24 programme, the Westleigh Estate in Warminster was identified as a key focus area, along with other estates across Warminster and Westbury. In July 2023, Westleigh Estate residents were surveyed to understand their priorities and safety and security on the estate emerged as a major concern. Specifically, residents highlighted issues with antisocial behaviour and dangerous driving. Following the initial consultation, 65-70% of residents supported the introduction of CCTV as a solution. Additional consultation and drop-in sessions were carried out which further increased resident support for CCTV installation on the estate.
In response, Selwood Housing, Wiltshire Council Warminster Area Board, Warminster Town Council, and Wiltshire Police worked in partnership to tackle the community’s safety concerns by jointly funding the installation of CCTV cameras on the estate.
The cameras were initially installed on 18 November 2024, marking a significant step forward for the estate. However, shortly after the installation, two of the lampposts holding the cameras were deliberately cut down in an act of vandalism. As a precaution, the remaining cameras were temporarily removed.
This incident only reinforced the importance of the project and highlighted the need for continued efforts. The project team, in close consultation with local authorities and residents, reassessed their approach to ensure a more secure and resilient installation. In late February 2024, the CCTV cameras were successfully reinstalled with additional monitoring measures to prevent further damage.
New CCTV cameras in operation at the Westleigh Estate in Warminster
Shaun Church, Selwood Housing’s senior neighbourhood manager, said:
“Following Selwood Housing’s Priority Neighbourhoods Project in Warminster, we’ve been engaging with Westleigh residents for the past 12 to 18 months, really listening to their concerns and what they see as a solution. Now, we’re seeing the results of that. My hope is that, over time, this will help rebuild community confidence.”
“Many residents have been hesitant to report issues or even spend time outside with their neighbours because of the behaviour happening around them. With the introduction of CCTV, we now have a tool to proactively address these concerns. By tackling antisocial behaviour, we hope to create a safer, more welcoming environment where people feel comfortable engaging with their community again—reducing social isolation and making Westleigh a place residents feel proud to call home.”
Shaun Church, Selwood Housing’s senior neighbourhood manager stood in front of new CCTV at the Westleigh Estate in Warminster
Since the cameras have been operational, residents have reported feeling safer and have seen a reduction in antisocial behaviour. Feedback from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. A Westleigh estate resident shares:
“It’s the best thing to have that many (cameras) on the estate because it was not uncommon for us to have five or six police cars coming here on a daily basis, but now we don’t get that many. It’s a lot safer and I know that my car’s safe and my property’s safe.”
The initiative has also received praise from local leaders.
Stacey Allensby, Councillor for West Ward in Warminster and Mayor of Warminster shares:
“I’m hoping it will make most of the residents feel a lot safer. If there are issues, then they know they’ve got CCTV footage to help them. Longer-term, I’m hoping that it’ll make residents feel safer and a lot more secure in their own homes.”
Stacey Allensby, Councillor for West Ward and Mayor of Warminster at the Westleigh Estate in Warminster
Wiltshire Police expressed their support for this initiative.
Inspector Louise Oakley and Sergeant Lyndsey Smith, from Warminster Neighbourhood Policing Team state “We both see CCTV as a positive step forward and a huge benefit to the community. CCTV is so important in helping prevent and detect crime. It can give reassurance to the public about community safety, and located in public places can provide evidence to relevant enforcement agencies.
“One of Wiltshire Policing Priorities is ‘Safer Public Spaces’ – we need to meet the needs of our communities, reduce violence and serious harm and tackle crimes that matter the most in the local communities.
“We see having CCTV in any public area as a positive, it can act as a deterrent, help ID and catch criminals. Our Town CCTV is an example of this and any shopliftings or ASB incidents are picked up quickly.
“We fully support the instalment of the cameras on the Westleigh Estate and hope that the public can see how much this will be of a great benefit to the wider needs of the community.”
The project also received funding from The Police and Crime Commissioner’s Community Action Fund, managed by Wiltshire Community Foundation. Wiltshire Community Foundation’s joint Chief Executive, Vicky Hickey said “We are pleased to have awarded a grant to Selwood Housing through our partnership with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
“One of the main objectives of the programme is to fund projects which improve the lives of local people and build safer, stronger and more cohesive communities across Wiltshire and Swindon.”
Selwood Housing launched the Priority Neighbourhoods programme for 2025/26 in April, focusing on communities in Trowbridge. The programme will continue to engage residents, identify key local issues, and work towards meaningful improvements.
New CCTV cameras in operation at the Westleigh Estate in Warminster
Project videos
Hear from senior neighbourhood manager, Shaun Church, and Mayor of Warminster, Stacey Allensby, as they give an update about the CCTV project at the Westleigh Estate:
Find out what Westleigh Estate residents thought about the newly installed CCTV cameras:
