The new Labour leader of the council is looking to scrap fines for traders who have been victims of graffiti and tagging.
Councillor Bella Sankey tweeted this morning (Thursday 1 June): “We’re committed to improving the look of our city and that means clearing up unsightly graffiti while providing more space for public art.
“But it can never be right to penalise small businesses in this way. So we’re reviewing these fines immediately.”
The fines were introduced by Brighton and Hove City Council under the Greens, with critics saying that they were being tough on crime and tough on the victims of crime.
Before the local elections, the issue was highlighted by a Brighton and Hove Independent candidate, Adrian Hart, in an opinion column for Brighton and Hove News.
The article noted the start of a new organisation, Business and Residents Against Tagging (BRAT), aimed at tackling the problem.
And just two days ago, Brighton and Hove News highlighted the case of another seafront trader who was threatened with by a fine by the council.
She was told that she would be fined if she didn’t paint over the tagging but said that the council should spend money on paint and help traders.
Eva Hellqvist, who owns OhSoSwedish on the Lower Esplanade, next to the Palace Pier, was visited by environmental enforcement officers this week after vandals tagged the shop shutters.
The council introduced fines for traders who left graffiti up for more than 28 days as part of a drive to clean up Brighton and Hove.
The trader has agreed to do so but called for the proceeds to be spent on paint which could be requested by small traders after finding out that the council had so far received £1,500 in fines from businesses who had left tags up.
The trader’s partner Ken Frost said: “Reducing graffiti is laudable. However, to criminalise the traders and threaten them with fines without offering them any help is a policy that is generating ill will from traders who already pay the council rent for ever diminishing services and support.
“My partner has asked the council many times for paint to cover up the graffiti to no avail.
“At the very least I suggest it uses the £1,500 raised thus far to supply the traders with paint to cover up the graffiti.”
We’re committed to improving the look of our City & that means clearing up unsightly graffiti while providing more space for public art.
But it can never be right to penalise small businesses in this way.
So we’re reviewing these fines immediately!https://t.co/t2GGLkuus0
— Bella Sankey (@BellaSankey) June 1, 2023
The council said: “We will be reviewing the council’s policy on graffiti management with immediate effect.
“The idea of spending money collected from graffiti fines on paint for traders is an interesting one. We’re very grateful to OhSoSwedish for suggesting it.
“This suggestion will be considered during our review, and we would welcome any other ideas residents have for getting rid of graffiti.
“Residents can report graffiti on www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/graffiti or by calling our graffiti hotline on 01273 295063.”
It is right to fine refusal to remove/paint over graffiti but share the burden by providing paint
That’s actually very positive! Credit where credit is due, if implemented, a much more reasonable solution.
They shouldn’t scrap the fines. If you buy a shop you should have a duty to keep it looking decent so as not to pull down the whole area. I agree though that the fine money should be ring-fenced to help people foot the bill of this.
You’re misreading Sarah. The fines are not being scraped.
If a shop is being hit by graffiti it should get a reduction in the business rates it pays the council as it shows the council is not doing its job correctly. It was another example of how out of touch with reality that group of councillors were.
It is not the shop failing in the upkeep of the property. It is the council failing to have deterrents for taggers.
What do you expect the council to do about it? You’re thinking of the police.
Nah, that’s a silly perspective realistically. Upkeep from tagging and messes is one of those things that one should, unfortunately, factor into their business.
A sensible decision – the Greens’ policy of penalising innocent victims of tagging rather than tackling or penalising the vandals themselves was idiotic.
Hang on did Labour support this when it was introduced? I thought cleaning up the city because of the previous unmitigated disaster was what they wanted. I am confused.
Good to see that the current administration are looking to scrap fines for victims of graffiti. They now need to act to deter graffiti. In 2021 Labour voted to cut the graffiti budget in the City & now look at the outcome!
WHY DON ‘T THE TAGGERS OR AT LEAST SOME OF THEM GET CAUGHT AND FINED THERE ARE ENOUGH CCTV ALL OVER THE PLACE DON ‘T THE POLICE EVER CATCH ANY OF THEM IN THE ACT OR IS THEIR PRIORITY THE MAYOR ‘S MISSING CAT IT ‘S JUST NOT SHOPS BEING TAGGED IT ‘S PEOPLES ‘S HOUSES TOO I ‘M ALWAYS SURPRISED THE THREE VC PLAQUES AT THE MEMORIAL HAVEN “T BEEN DONE YET , JUST A MATTER OF TIME