Council Spitefully Vandalise Heygate Community Gardens

I read this on Southwark Notes blog just now:
http://southwarknotes.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/council-spitefully-vandalise-heygate-community-gardens/

As someone who continues to enjoy the ever wonderful Heygate Community Gardens I am really saddened by the how the Council's actions there yesterday make no real sense and seem to come from some kind of antagonism towards the very community they are supposed to serve.

A lot of the community gardeners there are really upset by this latest attack on what they can only see as their efforts to work for the public good. The Council shows no real understanding of that effort and community spirit when they come and paint out the murals and graffiti that local artists had spent hours on brightening up this wonderful and alive community gardens.

These artistic efforts have been welcomed by the gardeners, free runners, chicken keepers, dog walkers and so on, all who continue to use the space because local people made this practical argument to keep the space and 400+ trees open to all. The Oakmayne site nearby, the old Elephant Rd park and football place, has been behind large fences for years awaiting a development that never comes. Heygate Community Gardeners were adamant that more public green space should be kept accessible for all as long as possible esp as two leaseholders are still living on the Estate.

it beggars belief. the non-sensical waste of everyone's time AND money isn't even ironic any more (while the cuts are hitting harder & harder).

(insert expletives of choise for the rest of comment)

Merlin Rouge wrote:

I read this on Southwark Notes blog just now:
http://southwarknotes.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/council-spitefully-vandalise-heygate-community-gardens/

As someone who continues to enjoy the ever wonderful Heygate Community Gardens I am really saddened by the how the Council's actions there yesterday make no real sense and seem to come from some kind of antagonism towards the very community they are supposed to serve.

A lot of the community gardeners there are really upset by this latest attack on what they can only see as their efforts to work for the public good. The Council shows no real understanding of that effort and community spirit when they come and paint out the murals and graffiti that local artists had spent hours on brightening up this wonderful and alive community gardens.

These artistic efforts have been welcomed by the gardeners, free runners, chicken keepers, dog walkers and so on, all who continue to use the space because local people made this practical argument to keep the space and 400+ trees open to all. The Oakmayne site nearby, the old Elephant Rd park and football place, has been behind large fences for years awaiting a development that never comes. Heygate Community Gardeners were adamant that more public green space should be kept accessible for all as long as possible esp as two leaseholders are still living on the Estate.

What a disgrace Southwark Council is - surely this must the the most 'amateur' run borough in London!

Bonkers and not justifiable on any ground that the council is there for, other than their landlord role, and even that is dubious. Have written to my councillor...

i too have written to the councillors - it makes no sense & has got to be a breach of council's own code of conduct, surely?!?!?!

The murals and street art are back in the Heygate Community Gardens after fed-up local folks waved their magic hands over the dull grey paint of the Council. All welcome in the Gardens. Open 24/7.

http://southwarknotes.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/community-restores-heygate-murals-after-council-vandalism/

Merlin Rouge wrote:

The murals and street art are back in the Heygate Community Gardens after fed-up local folks waved their magic hands over the dull grey paint of the Council. All welcome in the Gardens. Open 24/7.
http://southwarknotes.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/community-restores-heygate-murals-after-council-vandalism/

Brilliant, a great response to Southwark Council's own brand of arrogant and mean-spirited vandalism after they demonstrated once again how out of touch they can be with some sections of the community they are supposed to serve. Imho, this is one situation where graffiti is entirely appropriate and a genuine enhancement to the local environment.

spartacus wrote:

Merlin Rouge wrote:

The murals and street art are back in the Heygate Community Gardens after fed-up local folks waved their magic hands over the dull grey paint of the Council. All welcome in the Gardens. Open 24/7.
http://southwarknotes.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/community-restores-heygate-murals-after-council-vandalism/

Brilliant, a great response to Southwark Council's own brand of arrogant and mean-spirited vandalism after they demonstrated once again how out of touch they can be with some sections of the community they are supposed to serve. Imho, this is one situation where graffiti is entirely appropriate and a genuine enhancement to the local environment.

Seconded!

For your enjoyment here are some pics of the other Heygate Community Gardens paintings and drawings:

http://southwarknotes.wordpress.com/2012/07/29/more-heygate-community-gardens-paintings/

All of the above better viewed in situ! Lots of nice flowers and vegetables growing as we speak. Pond is lovely, the polytunnel high up on the walkway is brilliant and the chickens are happy too. Lots of space for picnics and there are tables and chairs around the (at the moment rather forlorn) Better Elephant exhibition.

Here is the link to a clip where you can see the whole offensive graffiti removal episode in action:
http://heygate.heroku.com/monthly-roundup/offensive-pencils-removed

Apparently the Council's in-house graffiti removal team are bound to a policy which says that they can only paint over graffiti which is itself covering a painted surface - graffiti on brick has to be removed.
But this was carried out by an external company called Standage contracted by the Council for the decant works like welding etc.
By painting over instead of removing the graffiti on these brick walls the Council have breached their own policy and their actions could potentially be classed as vandalism or criminal damage in the eyes of the law!