Concerns over Gloucester city centre graffiti
Since April this year, Ubico have dealt with 51 requests to remove graffiti from council-owned property
Concerns have been raised over rude and offensive graffiti in Gloucester city centre.
Gloucester City Council has set up a task force to deal with the problem and some £20,000 was allocated to deal with the issue this year.
The money was spent on two backpack pressure washers and several types of cleaning chemicals, according to an answer to a public question at last week’s cabinet meeting.
Since April this year, Ubico have dealt with 51 requests to remove graffiti from council-owned property.
However, there are concerns among the opposition at North Warehouse that the service is not good enough.
Many more examples of graffiti have been highlighted and pictures taken on October 20 show it is still a problem that affects council-owned buildings in the city centre such as Eastgate Shopping Centre car park.
Community Independents group leader Alastair Chambers (CI, Matson, Robinswood and White City) raised the issue at the cabinet meeting on October 16.
“Unfortunately, the service so far has been nothing short of appalling and rubbish as far as I can see,” he said when asking a supplementary question.
“Yesterday, I counted 13 penises painted on council buildings along with other swear words and what not. How are you going to manage washing off the penises from the walls?”
Environment cabinet member Sebastian Field (LD, Podsmead) said he didn’t agree with his characterisation of the service.
He said they take any graffiti on council land very seriously and that they act very quickly.
“I think it’s very impressive what we’ve done so far,” he said.
“We’ve allocated extra money for graffiti removal. We established a task force and have written a graffiti action plan which never was there under the previous administration.
“It’s an issue we take extremely seriously. If there is offensive graffiti on the council buildings we want to know about it.”
He said the council has dealt with reports of graffiti on publicly-owned buildings.
“If there is graffiti on private land we can’t always act. We wouldn’t be insured, we would be liable for damage done. The exception is if it was offensive and we can usually act to get that removed. Any offensive graffiti wherever it is we want to know about it we will deal with it quickly.”
People wishing to report graffiti can do so by visiting the council’s website.
The council says it aims to remove reported graffiti within two working days and they class offensive graffiti is any wording or imagery that causes offense such as racial, offensive language, religiously insulting or inciting, hate statements and graphically explicit images sexual or violent nature.
People can also report graffiti on the phone by calling 01452 396 396.