Hart’s New Blitz on Graffiti

HART Council this week announced two new initiatives to prevent graffiti in the district.

*Virgin Media has pledged cash plus free cabinet paint to remove graffiti from up to 500 of its cabinets in Hart.

* The Safer Hart Community Safety team has agreed to take over the council’s responsibility for graffiti removal across the district. This follows the success of its annual Graffiti Busting Week.

Under the Virgin Media partnership deal the free paint will be supplied to Hart, who will paint over graffiti up to a maximum of 500 of its 938 cabinets.

Neal Walshe, spokesman, for Virgin Media commented: “We are delighted to be working with Hart District Council to combat the anti-social menace of graffiti. We are confident that our joint efforts will result in a significant improvement to the local environment.”

Community support officers regularly patrol the streets of Hart and remove graffiti as and when they find it.

Under the new arrangement the community safety team will receive and respond to graffiti reports made directly to the council. This was previously dealt with by streetcare officers based at the depot in Springwell Lane, Hartley Wintney.

Cllr Nippy Singh, Hart’s portfolio holder for Community Safety, welcomed both of the moves.

He said: “Graffiti reflects negatively on our communities so it is important that it is removed at the earliest opportunity. These changes are evidence of Hart continuing to find smarter ways of working that reduce duplication of effort. Community Safety already runs a project to remove graffiti so taking full responsibility for this service makes a lot of sense.”

To report graffiti call the council on 01252 622122. Alternatively you can report it on online at www.hart.gov.uk/index/do_it_online -online forms -graffiti report