Path mapped out for CCTV on cycle route

Work on Black Path costing £665,000 was completed in autumn 2023

More than £40,000 is to be spent on CCTV cameras for an upgraded cycle and walking route in an effort to deter anti-social behaviour.

Redcar and Cleveland Council completed work last autumn on two miles of Black Path between Harcourt Road in South Bank and Ormesby High Street.

However, a report to the local authority reveals continuing nuisance behaviour by riders of scrambler motorbikes and quad bikes.

It recommends the installation of six cameras by September.

Black Path was formerly covered in cinder and was at one time regularly used by commuting steel and iron workers.

In 2022, £665,000 was granted to the council by the charity Sustrans, which oversees the National Cycle Network and administers awards from the Department of Transport.

This funded safety and accessibility features for cyclists, pedestrians, users of wheelchairs and mobility scooters and people with pushchairs.

Problems 'more visible'

Work included a widened path with a new sealed tarmac surface, embedded "solar eye" lighting, the clearing of overgrown vegetation and chicanes replacing restrictor barriers.

The report explaining the further investment to council members advised that, while the project has been popular with local people, the greater public presence has made anti-social activity more visible.

It said: "As part of a wider package of actions it is proposed to fit CCTV along the section of upgraded route to help mitigate the issue."

The report added that camera masts on the route would have to be fitted in locations with good visibility, while affording privacy for adjacent houses.