Efforts to tackle graffiti across Chichester district to be stepped up

The project was given the nod during a meeting of the cabinet on Tuesday (June 7).

Until recently, Chichester Contract Services (CCS) managed a contract – shared with the county council – which saw graffiti and fly posters removed two days per week.

That contract was reduced to one day per week in 2020, only covered council-owned buildings and saw Community Wardens taking on some of the work.

A report to the cabinet said: “In 2021, the street cleaning team at CCS and the Community Wardens started to clear graffiti and fly posters from [council] assets – but it soon became apparent that graffiti was accumulating on other buildings and assets.

“There has also been a noticeable increase in the amount of ‘tagging’ occurring across the district.”

With officers keen to address the problem and ‘maintain Chichester’s reputation as a clean and attractive place in which to live and work’, cabinet members were quick to approve the use of money from reserves.

The meeting was told that the council was working with police, colleges and schools to try to identify those responsible for the graffiti.

Pam Bushby, divisional manager for communities, said prevention was a big part of the work, with schools being asked to ‘educate students about the impacts of graffiti’.

She added: “What might seem like a bit of fun actually is a cost to the parents in their council tax, it’s also a cost to the environment and it’s a cost to the city itself through the visitors and the experiences that people have.”

Ms Bushby said the council was exploring the idea of setting up a ‘graffiti wall’ and highlighting ‘acceptable’ ways for young people to express themselves through graffiti art.

After the meeting, Penny Plant, cabinet member for environment & Chichester Contract Services, said: “We know how strongly people feel about this, especially as high levels of graffiti can be associated with anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping and crime in general.

“Tackling this issue is also a priority for our partners, including the Community Safety Partnership, and so it is very much about working together to tackle this crime.”