30/06/2026
Update on Swindon’s ANPR Cameras
Residents deserve a clear explanation for why Swindon’s ANPR camera scheme has been paused.
The reality is that the previous Labour administration pressed ahead with rolling out the cameras before the necessary governance and data protection work had been completed. Although installed ahead of the local elections, the scheme itself was not ready to be brought into operation.
To be clear, these are not speed cameras and they do not have any enforcement powers. In their current or future form, they cannot be used to issue speeding fines directly.
The five cameras are in place but remain switched off. They cannot begin collecting vehicle data until all required safeguards, including a full Data Protection Impact Assessment, are completed and approved.
At present, the cameras cannot be used to issue fines or warning letters, and no personal data can be shared with the police for enforcement purposes. Clearly, therefore, they are, at the moment, functionally useless.
We will explore whether the scheme could support road safety in partnership with Wiltshire Police, potentially in a similar way to Community Speed Watch. However, there is significant work required to get it to that point following Labour’s rushed pre-election rollout. Once the necessary approvals are in place, the data collected will be used to identify speeding patterns, highlight problem locations and times of concern, and help inform future road safety measures across Swindon.
Unfortunately, residents were mis-sold the nature of this ANPR scheme, and more recent attempts to conflate this specific issue with wider safety concerns on Akers Way are cynical and regrettable.
Our focus is on delivering genuine outcomes for safer roads and ensuring the scheme is safe, lawful and genuinely useful for residents - something that was not achieved in the initial rushed rollout.
