At last, some action.

Well, here’s some good news in the city’s fight against graffiti. That daubing on the end wall of the terrace that links Broad Street to Saracen Street is finally going to be dealt with.

I spotted an application on this week’s planning list for its removal on what is a Grade 11 listed building. It has been there for years.

Attached to the application is a Heritage Statement, which points out that the building’s Bath stone ashlar is both aesthetically and evidentially significant. Graffiti causes visual disfigurement, the interruption of historic stone texture and patina and the dilution of the architectural integrity and setting.

It states that Historic England highlights that graffiti can encourage repeat offences and undermine the character and public perception of historic environments

I don’t think it’s good for tourism either!

The statement points out that the porosity of Bath stone means the paint pigment can penetrate and be difficult to remove without the risk of ghosting or irreversible surface alteration.

Historic England goes on to recommend various ways of cleaning off the graffiti, and indeed, a trial square of it has been tested with what looks like good results.

Some form of anti-graffiti coating may have to be applied, and it’s also suggested that the area is being accessed by climbing on top of a phone box, which needs removing!

Daubings like this constitute criminal damage and a heritage crime. If only one of these anti-social people could be caught in the act.

While that is good news for the look of Broad Street, isn’t it time another even more spectacular daubing is removed above the Bird and Blend store in Burton Street?

PS There’s more in Walcot Street!! Same ‘artist’ too.