Urban Art Sites for Cabinet Consideration

Designated sites for graffiti artwork could be implemented in South Tyneside in recommendations being put forward by a cross-party scrutiny commission.

Over the past year, the Council's Our Place Scrutiny Committee has undertaken an in-depth look into how graffiti is tackled across the borough, gathering information and evidence from Council teams and partners such as the Police, Nexus, South Tyneside Young People's Parliament and Community Payback team, as well as considering best practice in neighbouring areas.

The Council aims to remove offensive graffiti within 24 hours, and non-offensive graffiti within five days. Graffiti removal costs the Council around £100,000 a year.

While the Commission agreed that the Council's practices and policies on graffiti removal were generally working well and should be maintained, members also recommended taking a managed approach to street art, by having dedicated Urban Art Sites.

These 'tolerated' graffiti sites would be developed in collaboration with community groups and residents, through the Borough's five Community Area Forums, and provide graffiti artists with some dedicated space to use.

The implementation of Urban Art Sites in appropriate locations is just one of six recommendations to be considered by Cabinet when they meet on Wednesday 2 October.

Councillor Ernest Gibson, Lead Member for Neighbourhoods and Climate Change, said: "We continue to do everything we can to ensure our borough is clean and graffiti-free.

"While graffiti is regarded as unsightly, a blight on our communities, not to mention a criminal offence, there are certain locations where street art-style graffiti could work well if properly managed and with permission. Although offensive graffiti will never be tolerated.

"We need to strike a balance between what is low-level tagging and mindless vandalism, and what can be considered as artistic expression at sites such as the skatepark at South Shields Promenade where graffiti is deemed appropriate, in fitting with the immediate area and tends to be respected by other graffiti artists.

"We look forward to discussing the recommendations in more detail at Cabinet."

Other existing 'street art' locations include the walls at Albermarle Street and Monkton Cycleway. Some accepted graffiti locations include graffiti style art murals, such as the Hopkins Walk underpass, and the Commission noted that similar such murals could be designed in collaboration with the local community at other appropriate locations.

The Commission also noted that the artwork in dedicated graffiti spaces tends to be of high quality and are periodically refreshed and renewed by the artists themselves.

Councillor Alison Strike, Chair of Our Place Scrutiny Committee, said: "The Commission on Tackling Graffiti gave us a chance to break down the issue, look at what works well and where improvements could be made. There has been a wealth of work carried out over the last 12 months and we thank everyone for their involvement.

"The Commission concluded that illegal graffiti and tagging continues to be a significant challenge due to the negative impact on the environment and costs to clean up.

"However, graffiti and street art could be acceptable in the right setting and with the support of the community, for example in artwork projects developed by local people that help to brighten dark spaces.

"We are pleased to bring forward recommendations to Cabinet that aim to help tackle graffiti and reduce removal costs."

Cabinet is meeting on Wednesday 2 October, at 4pm, at South Shields Town Hall.

To report graffiti, visit Graffiti and vandalism.