East Lancs MP installs CCTV over safety concerns

An East Lancashire MP is to fit CCTV cameras to his constituency office to improve security for himself and his staff.

Oliver Ryan has been granted planning permission for the three devices at his office in Burnley town centre.

They can be installed despite the Grimshaw Street building being Grade II heritage listed,

The three miniature cameras were approved by Burnley Council’s development control committee on Thursday night.

Mr Ryan was elected as  a Labour MP in July but is currently sitting as an Independent pending a party investigation into his participation in a WhatsApp group containing offensive comments when he was a Tameside councillor.

A planning officer’s report to the meeting said: “The proposal relates to a mid-19th Century property positioned within terraced row on the south side of Grimshaw Street.

“The building was originally constructed around 1840 as a townhouse and soon after (c.1850) adapted as an office for William Waddington and Son Architects.

“The building is a heritage asset of high significance reflected in its Grade II Listing.

“The nature of this significance lies chiefly in its architectural interest and value as part of a wider grouping of late Georgian and early Victorian higher status town house properties on Nicholas and Dugdale Streets.

“This application seeks planning permission for the installation of three external CCTV cameras.

“The proposed CCTV cameras are small, fixed eyeball cameras, finished in black.

“They are purposely compact to minimise the effect on the external areas of the building.

“The proposal will not result in the removal or concealment of historic fabric or features.

“Given the sensitive nature of the use of the building as the constituency office for Burnley’s MP, the need for enhanced security measures is considered reasonable and necessary to protect the safety of staff and visitors and the sensitive material contained within from security concerns whilst remaining visible and accessible to constituents.

“The proposal will result in the additional benefit of assisting in the protection of the listed building itself.”

National concern about the safety of MPs has grown after the fatal stabbings of Labour’s Jo Cox and Conservative Sir David Amess in 2016 and 2021 respectively.