Graffiti ‘hot spots’ declared by council following hundreds of complaints

A pair of Cheltenham graffiti-busters has its work cut out along Grosvenor Terrace, Imperial Lane, and Post Office Lane Residents filed 270 complaints about graffiti during a twelve month period between 2023 and 2024, according to council data released under the Freedom of Information Act.

Concerningly, offensive graffiti appears to be on the rise, with reports increasing during this timeframe. Last summer, one in three reports concerned racial, sexual, homophobic, religious or political graffiti, which the council classifies as offensive and aims to remove within 14 days.

Immediately following this wave of complaints, the Cheltenham Business Improvement District (BID) and the council began piloting a graffiti-buster patrol to tackle the issue. They are now working with police cadets to map problem areas, and have flagged Imperial Lane, Grosvenor Terrace and Place, and Post Office Lane as priority “hot spots” for “cleansing” in February.

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However, Andy ‘Dice’ Davies, Artist and Founder of the Cheltenham Paint Festival which organises sanctioned street muraling , has recommended that basic removal and use of anti-graffiti paint is generally “not an answer” because illegal tags are often rapidly reinstated by vandals.

Councillor Izaac Tailford, cabinet member for waste, recycling and public realm, is more optimistic: “Entering this next phase of the pilot restores the beauty of our regency town. We’re encouraging residents to take action and report graffiti to help us maintain the vibrancy of our town for everyone”.

A pilot aimed at tackling graffiti tagging in Cheltenham town centre is in its second phase as work to clean areas identified as being graffiti hot spots starts. Funding of £15k was secured from the Home Office by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, and the first phase begun with the appointment of Ecoclean Environmental chosen for their passion for a cleaner Cheltenham and their expertise in the removal of graffiti.

This phase also included a mapping and data gathering exercise of the impact of graffiti on town centre businesses and council owned buildings, grade 1 and 2 listed buildings and other public areas.

Entering the second phase marked a significant milestone in the pilot as work to remove tagging began early in the new year. Using a variety of specialist solutions, equipment and techniques to remove the graffiti without causing damage to the underlying surface or having any negative environmental impact.

Fran Inman, chief executive at Cheltenham BID, said: “We’re really excited to have entered the next phase of the pilot having worked closely with our partners to map and gather data during the first phase. The pilot is designed to make people feel safer, enhance community engagement, and encourage economic growth by maintaining clean and attractive public spaces, whilst also encouraging individuals to report issues or concerns to help sustain these improvements.”

Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, Nick Evans said: “Tackling graffiti may seem trivial, but it isn’t. It’s criminal damage and makes people feel less safe when they’re walking around. That’s why I’m so pleased that we have been able to fund this scheme, tackling anti-social behaviour and making it clear that we have real pride in Cheltenham.”

Inspector Steve Benbow from the Cheltenham Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “The police can't tackle graffiti alone which is why I’m pleased that we’re part of the partnership approach. Joint working allows us to identify areas which are being targeted by graffiti and work together with colleagues to restore the area.

"My team supported in the initial phase of this scheme and will continue to do so throughout. Graffiti is criminal damage so PCSOs and officers will work to identify and robustly deal with anyone found to be committing offences."

A monitoring and prevention phase will follow, involving increased police patrols and new guidance for businesses on property protection and effective graffiti removal. You can report graffiti via this online portal: www.cheltenham.gov.uk/report-graffiti