Consultations
Graffiti Removal Consultation
This is a consultation on new anti-graffiti powers introduced in the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003.
Title: Graffiti Removal Consultation
Author: Anti-Social Behaviour Unit
Date published: October 2004
Number of pages: 11
New Powers
Sections 48, 49, 50, 51 and 52 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 enable a local authority to serve a "graffiti removal notice" on the owners of street furniture, street cleaners and educational institutions whose property is defaced with graffiti. The notice requires the owners to remove the graffiti within 28 days. If the person responsible for the property doesn't remove the graffiti, the local authority can intervene, clean up the graffiti and recover reasonable costs.
These sections were piloted in 12 authorities from 31 March 2004. Views on these new powers and the draft guidance are now welcome.
Guidance for the 12 local authorities was also produced and is available for download. This guidance details the type of properties the notice can be applied to, the conditions that need to be met in order for a notice to be issued and the procedure for issuing a notice.
Consultation Questions
The Home Office Anti-Social Behaviour Unit are particularly interested in views on the following:
Are the new powers an effective tool for tackling graffiti?
What would be the impact of introducing the new powers nationwide? In particular:
Will clean-up costs increase for local authorities compared with the amount currently spent and if so, by how much?
Will clean-up costs increase for private companies? if so, by how much?
Will there be any additional costs for local authorities, private companies, individuals or others if the powers are introduced, and how much might these be?
What amendments to the statutory guidance would be appropriate or necessary, in the event of these powers being introduced across England and Wales?
What are the costs to local authorities and affected companies of cleaning graffiti currently?
What evidence from the pilot authorities or elsewhere is there that the introduction of these powers will increase the costs for businesses affected and by how much?
What evidence from the pilot authorities or elsewhere is there that these powers will lead to the swifter removal of graffiti?
Are there any unexpected or additional benefits from having these powers in place e.g. better partnership working?
Should these powers be extended to cover fly posting as well as graffiti, as suggested in the recent DEFRA consultation Clean Neighbourhoods?
Deadline for responses: Friday 31st December 2004.
Responses should be sent to:
David Smith
Anti-Social Behaviour Unit
Home Office
50 Queen Anne's Gate
London
SW1H 9AT
Tel: 0207 273 2755
Fax: 0207 273 2975
E-mail: david.smith55@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
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