The Amphora Group, which is owned by Colchester City Council, has expanded its public safety monitoring network to cover nearly 530 cameras across Colchester and the Tendring district. This joint effort, announced on 26 March 2026, combines resources to provide a more consistent approach to monitoring public spaces and supporting emergency services across the region.
The partnership follows the formal transfer of CCTV services from Tendring District Council to the Amphora Group on 1 August 2025. As part of this move, the region has moved away from older, 20-year-old analogue equipment, replacing it with modern, high-definition digital technology. This upgrade was supported by a £399,000 investment in Clacton town centre, which included the installation of 14 new cameras and the replacement of 21 existing ones.
The impact of this updated network is already being felt, with monitoring efforts supporting 202 arrests and recording over 2,210 incidents during the 2025/26 period. Essex Police have noted that these improved digital capabilities allow for clearer images and faster responses to incidents. Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, highlighted that anti-social behaviour incidents across the county are now more than two-thirds lower than they were in 2016.
Councillor David King, leader of Colchester City Council, noted that linking the systems across the two districts creates a more responsive, intelligence-led service that supports the police, local councils, and the public. These improvements arrive as the local government prepares for a broader reorganisation, which will see Colchester and Tendring unite as part of a new North East Essex unitary authority by April 2028.
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