LOCATIONS for George Lane's long-awaited CCTV cameras have finally been revealed - with the area's banks due to get the closest coverage.
Each of the shopping district's banks will have one of the £30,000 devices positioned within yards of its front doors as a clear bid to deter potential robbers.
One of the nine cameras - which are being introduced as part of a £1.65 million 'improvement scheme' funded by Transport for London (TfL) - will be stationed in front of Pizza Express at the junction with the High Road, with another positioned outside HSBC near the entrance to Sainsbury's carpark.
The rest will cover the areas around Marks & Spencers supermarket, Barclays and Natwest banks, both sides of South Woodford Underground Station and the entrance to Pulteney Road - with another device due to be stationed in the High Road opposite Funky Mojoes Bar.
Traders have given the planned locations a mixed reception, with many still fearing that the cameras will be used primarily for traffic enforcement - despite repeated reassurances from the council that they are primarily there to improve security.
Some have also questioned why the banks appear to be getting special treatment.
Kerk Davies, of South Woodford Business Partnership said: "I'm not too surprised about where the cameras are going to be positioned because the banks are particularly vulnerable - but you would have thought they could afford their own CCTV provision.
"Traders are generally not as sceptical as we were about the cameras, and we have had negotiations with the council over what the exact rules for parking and unloading will be.
"Hopefully the cameras will give shoppers extra confidence when they visit George Lane."
Work was due to begin on installing the cameras in August, but delays mean no date has yet been set for their installation.
A council spokeswoman said: "The position of the proposed CCTV cameras were detailed in a report that went to Area Committee 2 on 21 July.
"There has been a delay in the erection of the cameras but work is expected to begin within the next 8 weeks. We anticipate the cameras to be operational by January 2010."
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