Issue - meetings

This report gives details of the Council’s work in tackling graffiti, including the current reporting mechanisms, the cleaning and removal of graffiti and work with the Community Payback scheme.

(Report of Director of Central Services and Deputy Chief Executive)

The report provided details of the Borough Council’s work in tackling graffiti, including the current reporting mechanisms, the cleaning and removal of graffiti and work with the Community Payback scheme.

Members welcomed the report and noted that the Borough Council’s current approach to tackling graffiti aimed to remove all offensive, racist and abusive graffiti from council-owned land and public property within 48 hours of it being reported, with priority being given to areas on or close to main roads, main town areas and schools.  However, the Borough Council would not remove graffiti from privately owned property, railway structures or telephone boxes and instead, residents would be encouraged to report this graffiti to the police or directly to the landowners.  A flowchart showing the process for reporting graffiti was attached at Annex 1.  A table providing examples of a number of other Kent local authorities’ approaches to tackling graffiti was provided at Annex 3.

The use of graffiti walls to address graffiti issues was discussed and a clarification was made between ‘graffiti walls’ and ‘graffiti/street art’.  Member supported a public consultation be undertaken to gather residents’ views on ‘graffiti walls’, subject to a clear definition of ‘graffiti walls’ being provided in the survey.

Following consideration by the Communities and Environment Scrutiny Select Committee, the Cabinet Member for Transformation and Infrastructure resolved that:

(1)        the graffiti reporting page on the website be further publicised to residents;

(2)        a Graffiti policy setting out how the Borough Council intended to tackle graffiti, be developed;

(3)        a single database to record reports of graffiti across Council Services and record when the graffiti had been removed, be developed; and

(4)        a survey to gather information of views on graffiti and ‘graffiti walls’ from residents, including Parish Councils, be undertaken within the borough.

(Decision Notice D230098MEM)

The report of the Director of Central Services and Deputy Chief Executive provided details of the Borough Council’s work in tackling graffiti, including the current reporting mechanisms, the cleaning and removal of graffiti and work with the Community Payback scheme.

Members welcomed the report and noted that the Borough Council’s current approach to tackling graffiti aimed to remove all offensive, racist and abusive graffiti from council-owned land and public property within 48 hours of it being reported, with priority being given to areas on or close to main roads, main town areas and schools.  However, the Borough Council would not remove graffiti from privately owned property, railway structures or telephone boxes and instead, residents would be encouraged to report this graffiti to the police or directly to the landowners.  A flowchart showing the process for reporting graffiti was attached at Annex 1.  A table providing examples of a number of other Kent local authorities’ approaches to tackling graffiti was provided at Annex 3.

Particular reference was made to the one-off Welcome Back Funding which was secured to remove graffiti from privately owned property during the Covid Pandemic and Members noted that this funding was no longer available.

The use of graffiti walls to address graffiti issues was discussed and a clarification was made between ‘graffiti walls’ and ‘graffiti/street art’.  Member supported a public consultation be undertaken to gather residents’ views on ‘graffiti walls’, subject to a clear definition of ‘graffiti walls’ being provided in the survey.

RECOMMENDED*:  That

(1)        the graffiti reporting page on the website be further publicised to residents;

(2)        a Graffiti policy setting out how the Borough Council intended to tackle graffiti, be developed;

(3)        a single database to record reports of graffiti across Council Services and record when the graffiti had been removed, be developed; and

(4)        a survey to gather information of views on graffiti and ‘graffiti walls’ from residents, including Parish Councils, be undertaken within the borough.

*Decision Taken by Cabinet Member