Professional artists could cover graffiti in Colchester
Its part of a plan to tackle vandalism across the town
Graffiti hotspots could be covered up with paintings from local artists in a bid to tackle an Essex town’s problem with tagging and vandalism.
Colchester councillors appearing at a meeting last night (January 26) asked the cabinet to consider paying professional street artists to paint on walls in areas such as the Hythe and New Town that are particularly affected.
A wider strategy involving the use of light sensors to deter people from spray painting walls, and lobbying Greater Anglia for more CCTV and ticket-checking measures at Colchester Town and Hythe train stations, was also suggested.
The suggestions were made by Labour Councillor Lee Scordis (Old Health and The Hythe) but were welcomed by the Conservative-led cabinet.
Cllr Scordis told the cabinet graffiti often reappears just weeks after being removed and that the council does not have the resources to keep clearing it up.
He said: “Graffiti is a menace that troubles lots of areas of Colchester and my ward, especially in the Hythe and parts of New Town, gets it really bad and it’s always the same areas, always the same hotspots that do get it.
“Certain alleyways, certain buildings, they get tagged and targeted by these people.”
Cllr Scordis also said Colchester Town and Hythe stations have no ticket barriers, which contributes to why they are so heavily targeted.
Later he used the example of an abandoned electrical facility in Old Hythe Recreation Ground, which has been painted by a local artist.
Costs for this project had been cheap and the artist was happy train up others while on the job, according to Cllr Scordis.
Portfolio Holder for Economy, Business and Heritage Darius Laws (Con, Rural North) said a similar strategy of using local artists to cover up graffiti had been successfully tried by a company called Wood Street Walls in Walthamstow.
He said at the meeting: “They deliberately worked with the council and property owners of otherwise redundant, dark corners and alleyways and they designated them as areas where people could create art and like you say that meant that people sort of respected them and don’t come along and tag and ruin them.”
He also said the alleyway into the dutch quarter by Colchester Castle already has a surface where people are encouraged to leave small artworks or messages.
Council leader Paul Dundas (Con, Stanway) said: “I think we should enquire and make the point to Greater Anglia regarding particularly the Hythe and maybe looking at some ticket enforcements.
“I don’t think it just covers graffiti actually, I think you may well find there are some other crime related activities which could be helped by that.”
The cabinet asked officers at the meeting to note the suggestions.