Bradford on Avon plans a graffiti wall (From Wiltshire Times)

Bradford on Avon plans a graffiti wall

4:00pm Sunday 14th November 2010 in News By Chris Melvin

Tom Pettitt

A businessman is hoping a plan to create a graffiti wall behind his warehouse in Bradford on Avon will reduce the number of obscene messages scrawled across his property.

The wall at the rear of Heaven Scent’s Frome Road premises has been repeatedly daubed with obscene graffiti. Youths often climb onto the flat roof of the building when they congregate by the entrance to the basketball court in Victory Field.

The hope is that by inviting young people to decorate the wall with artwork they will not deface it in the future.

Tom Pettitt, co-owner of Heaven Scent Incense, has given his backing to the idea, but feels the problems of anti-social behaviour should be tackled more directly.

He said: “It’s a funny way of dealing with it. They said it’s the sort of thing that works, I don’t know, it’s worth a shot.

“The council are not really fixing the problem, they should be changing the position of the entrance to the tennis courts, where there are picnic benches anyway. One day someone is going to go through my roof and there will be a death. I’ve just spent £300 to repair the skylights because they’ve been up there. I’ve agreed because I don’t want to repaint the wall. I’m all for helping the community but I’m hacked off with the whole situation.”

The idea, which has the support of Wiltshire Police, was discussed at a meeting of Bradford on Avon Town Council’s leisure, youth and arts committee on Tuesday night, with councillors narrowly voting to support the idea, provided it can be implemented by March.

The town council has also purchased almost 30 prickly bushes that will be planted in front of the graffiti wall early next year.

Elly Townsend, Bradford on Avon community area manager, said: “The idea is to get a professional artist in to do a piece with the young people who are suspected of being behind the graffiti, so that they take ownership of it.”

As yet no budget has been agreed for the project, which is likely to be funded by the area board.