Amphora Group, owned by Colchester City Council, has strengthened its cross‑district CCTV service, now monitoring nearly 530 cameras across Colchester and Tendring. This creates one of the most coordinated and responsive public space monitoring networks in North East Essex, helping keep residents, visitors and businesses safe.
Why this matters to local people
A shared monitoring service means incidents can be spotted and dealt with sooner. Amphora’s control room works closely with Essex Police and community safety teams, improving real‑time responses to antisocial behaviour, crime and safety concerns.
Colchester continues to perform better than the national average for crime, but both districts still face challenges linked to antisocial behaviour, violent crime and town centre safety. Continued investment helps maintain safe public spaces and supports communities as they grow.
So far in 2025/26, Amphora’s monitoring has already supported 202 arrests and recorded over 2,210 incidents, giving police and councils vital evidence to prevent and resolve issues more quickly.
Major CCTV upgrades underway in Colchester
Colchester’s CCTV system is undergoing a significant upgrade, replacing older equipment with modern digital technology. Amphora Connect is delivering the improvements as part of the City Council’s long‑term plan to boost resilience in busy and developing areas.
Key upgrade locations include:
- King Edward’s Quay: improving safety for the waterfront community and helping tackle antisocial behaviour.
- Northern Gateway: new integrated CCTV linked directly to the central control room, supporting the area’s growth as a major leisure and sports destination.
- Town centre approaches: part of a wider digital transformation, adding new cameras with clearer images and faster links to Essex Police.
These upgrades sit alongside wider investment in Colchester’s digital infrastructure, including ultrafast broadband, ensuring stronger, more reliable coverage across the city.
A joined‑up service for North Essex
By expanding its monitoring across both Colchester and Tendring, Amphora Group is creating a more unified safety service. This reduces duplication, improves operator expertise and allows for a coordinated response when incidents happen across district boundaries.
Essex Police have welcomed the clearer images, improved visibility and quicker coordinated responses delivered by the new digital system.
This cross‑district approach strengthens local resilience at a time when communities expect firm action on antisocial behaviour, town centre safety and the night‑time economy.
Cllr David King, Leader of Colchester City Council, said: “By linking CCTV monitoring across Colchester and Tendring, we are creating a more responsive, intelligence‑led service that supports police, local councils and the public. These improvements mean we can spot issues earlier, act faster and robustly, helping boost confidence, safety and the enjoyment of our city centre.
Cllr Martyn Warnes, Chair of the Amphora Board, said: “This expansion of our CCTV network reflects Amphora Group’s commitment to delivering reliable, modern services that directly support safer communities. By investing in better technology and a more coordinated approach across districts, we’re helping local partners respond more effectively to issues that matter to residents. Our role is to provide the tools and expertise that make a practical difference on the ground, and we’re proud to be strengthening that support across Colchester and Tendring.”