The council has launched a special public consultation today on its proposals to tackle the scourge of graffiti and tagging in the city.
Everyone – including residents, businesses, landlords, businesses, local action teams, community groups, council teams and other stakeholders across Brighton and Hove – is invited to tell council bosses what they think are the best ways to wipe out graffiti for good.
At present Brighton and Hove City Council is responsible only for removing graffiti and tagging from its own buildings and other equipment that it owns like bins, lamp posts and playpark equipment.
It’s not responsible for removing anything on private property or land, including graffiti on company buildings or belongings, unless it’s offensive.
Councillor Anne Pissaridou, who chairs the council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee, is urging people to complete the consultation.
She also acknowledged that, as part of the war on graffiti, the council needed to clean up its own buildings and equipment and she pledged that it would.
She said: “We’re hoping as many people as possible respond to this important consultation as we want everyone’s view on what they believe is the best way forward.
“Some of the consultation is quite controversial as we’re asking people if they think businesses, private homeowners and landlords should remove graffiti from their buildings or pay the council to do so.
“But with the vast majority of graffiti and tagging on private property that we’re not responsible for, we need people’s views on tackling this growing and unsightly problem.”
She added: “As a council we know we had got a lot of work to get our own house in order and I make a commitment that we’ll do that.”
The consultation is open until Sunday 15 December and takes around 10 minutes to complete. It contains 11 questions including
- How big a problem is tagging and graffiti?
- Should companies like BT, Virgin Media and gas and electricity providers clear graffiti from their own equipment such as junction boxes?
- Should Network Rail remove graffiti and tagging from its property such as bridges, hoardings, etc?
- What do people think about private homeowners and landlords having to remove graffiti from their properties?
- Should the council set up its own graffiti removal service that can charge companies and homeowners for removing graffiti?
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Councillor Pissaridou added: “We’re determined to stop graffiti and tagging in the city, so agreeing a majority way forward is extremely important. Graffiti is a terrible blight on our city and it must be erased for good.”
The feedback will be considered and a final approach presented to a future meeting of the council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee.
