Hounslow Council Rejects Local Graffiti In The Park Plan

Strand on The Green residents wanted artwork left in recreation ground

Hounslow Council and a Chiswick resident's group have clashed on the issue of urban art.

The Strand on the Green Residents Association (SoGA) asked Hounslow Council not to remove graffiti which appeared on a patch of wall in the local recreation ground saying it enhanced the area.

Chairman Richard Griffith told the Council "It is SoGA's belief that it be better to have graffiti here - as per the skateboard area on the South Bank - rather than local street and garden walls." He said they would like to encourage similar works.

SoGA asked the Council to let the urban art work remain and not be painted over or daubed out.

But Hounslow Council said it has a 'zero tolerance' for graffiti and would instruct its contractors to paint over it.

"Whilst we do appreciate that artistic graffiti can have a place in certain locations within recreational areas, the Council does have a zero tolerance for graffiti and treats graffiti as a criminal act.

"This particular graffiti is a tag and is simply a basic writing of the artists name and should not be encouraged. We will instruct Greenspace 360 to paint over this particular graffiti, as it can be seen from the District Line and is subject to complaints."

However, the Council said it could look at introducing an artistic mural at Strand on the Green and engage with local artists though its Youth Services to design this with the local community in mind.

SoGA says that while it agrees that a zero tolerance approach is necessary where graffiti is a nuisance, in this case, over-painting in the rec. area would only provide a clean canvas for another 'artist'.

The association is to liaise with the Council about the possibility of having the area painted as a youth project.

March 6, 2018