Mayor Jason Perry was in Thornton Heath this morning to oversee the progress of reinstating the council’s graffiti removal service and continue this pledge to clean up Croydon’s streets.
Tag removal began at Kettering Court, a sheltered housing residence located beside Thornton Heath train station. The façade of the building will continue to be cleared this week.
In the past Croydon removed an average of 12,000 tags per year, but in 2020 the council limited the service to removal of offensive graffiti only, due to budget constraints. Having listened to residents and businesses, the Mayor has committed to addressing this issue as a priority.
The council is currently mobilising a ‘find and remove’ crew to start work around the borough and focus on known hot spots, as well as developing an online reporting process.
A report on the boosted graffiti removal service will be taken to cabinet next month for consideration, along with the development of a policy which will differentiate between graffiti and street art.
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon said: “Tackling graffiti is an important part of cleaning up our streets to make them better for our residents and businesses. We must restore pride in our communities, and that starts by making their high streets, parks and public spaces clean, safe and as attractive as possible.
“Today I heard from residents in Thornton Heath about how important it was to them to see this work taking place on their doorstep so quickly. I want to assure residents that this is just the beginning, and I remain committed to returning an expanded and improved graffiti removal service as soon as possible.”
