Slough Estates case study

The vision to crack crime

When Slough Trading Estate began to suffer from rising crime, management company Slough Estates realised that action was required – and fast. But when it began to tackle the problem, it had no idea how successful the solution would be.

It was clear that to reduce crime – and the fear of crime – resident businesses on Europe’s biggest, solely-owned trading estate needed more protection. Additional support was needed to work alongside the estate’s existing Business Watch and patrol schemes, and CCTV appeared to offer a cost-effective solution.

A comprehensive solution from ntl:Telewest Business gave Slough Estates the result it was looking for. The existing ntl:Telewest Business infrastructure allowed our experienced team to install a sophisticated network of cameras across the site, providing flexible and reliable 24/7 surveillance.

Complete surveillance from an intelligent network

Slough Trading Estate’s 7.4 million sq ft is home to over 450 businesses. By helping to tackle the increasing crime rate, our CCTV solution has provided those businesses with the security they need. In addition, new clients have been attracted to the development and the wider area of Slough now has an extra resource to help target crime.

Stepping-up the protection

Watching the levels of crime steadily rise on Slough Trading Estate was Business Watch Manager, John Devine. He had implemented the Business Watch scheme and introduced patrols to the estate a few years earlier. He was now looking to support these strategies with targeted security.

Choosing CCTV as the best option to meet his objectives of reducing crime and the fear of crime, John was confident that ntl:Telewest Business would develop a successful scheme. “By using the ntl:Telewest Business network infrastructure that was already there, disruption was kept to a minimum and the cost of implementation was reduced,” says John.

A clearer view

Our consultants worked closely with John to identify the best locations for CCTV cameras, and then installed a CCTV network spanning millions of square feet using the existing underground optical fibre. The high-bandwidth enables John’s team to send messages back to the cameras to provide them with 360 degree pictures for complete estate surveillance.

Delivering extremely clear pictures in real time, our optical technology gives John total confidence. “The fibre provides increased picture quality to the extent that we can actually read car registration plates,” explains John. “Potentially, these exceptionally clear pictures could be used with ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) technology in the future to pinpoint stolen cars. However, at present data protection issues prevent this.”

Supporting change, consistently

Keeping Slough Estate’s costs to a minimum, our skilled engineers developed a solution that links the many areas of the estate to a 24/7 surveillance centre. The project has been implemented in phases to allow the cost to be spread, with all six phases now complete and delivered on time.

Change is a constant factor on Slough Trading Estate. As new businesses move in, our network planner is always onhand to develop the fibre layout accordingly. This consistency has been an important factor for John during the project. “I’ve worked with the same ntl:Telewest Business account manager and planner for a number of years and we’ve got on very well. They’ve always been available when I need them.”

What it has made possible

Crime on the estate, including burglary, attempted burglary, criminal damage and car theft has reduced by a massive 80% since the CCTV cameras were installed. One staggering example is the 97% fall in car crime on the Bath Road Retail Park in 2006 compared with 2001 – the year prior to camera installation.

Slough Estates has discovered that a new-found reputation for a safer and more secure environment is helping to attract and maintain businesses, allowing the Estate to grow and continue to provide intelligent workspaces. And to confirm the success of the scheme, Slough Estates Business Watch has also received recognition from the Home Office – becoming a role model for similar schemes across the country.