At last, some action

Richard Wyatt

Finally, there’s evidence of action soon to be taken to deal with the spray paint graffiti on the chimney stack of the Bird and Blend tea company on the corner of Burton Street and Upper Borough Walls.

A planning application has been lodged for Listed Building Consent to get rid of it.

The building is Grade 11 listed and within both the Bath Conservation Area and the UNESCO World Heritage designation.

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A Heritage Impact Assessment – included with the application – states:

‘The graffiti consists of a large sprayed area created using aerosol spray paint. Spray paint is one of the most common graffiti media identified by Historic England, known for deep pigment penetration into porous stone surfaces and its resistance to simple water-based cleaning.’

The application explains what specialist treatment would be used to deal with the spray paint.

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‘The graffiti affects the roofscape of the building, highly visible from the public realm and thus affects the townscape character of Broad Street.’

The application explains that graffiti on a listed building constitutes criminal damage and is treated as a heritage crime.

I want to know how someone got onto that roof and what steps will be taken to prevent that criminal trespass from ever happening again.





Published by Richard Wyatt

Freelance Journalist, broadcaster, columnist and local historian. Director of Bath Newseum. Married and lives in Bath. Interested in local history, architecture and visual display in museums and urban spaces.

4 Comments

  1. Good luck with your enquiries on that one, Richard. Please let us know if you get anywhere with it.

  2. Richard,
    Where would we be without your sharp eyed observations.?
    But your notes point out what this country has come to! Really planning applications to take down graffiti, to repair a canopy over the corridor etc. etc. when I was a kid in this city (6 in 1955) the City just went about its business keeping the city in good Nick.
    So much extra cost for no added value!

    Ps Rebecca and no water? Any pride left in the detail of the city? Your 👀 are so important, thank you. P

  3. I can see that there might be a need to get the removal method approved. Certainly there are instances of the wrong treatment only causing further irreversible damage to historic fabric. But it does seem unduly bureaucratic.

    1. Bath and North East Somerset Council must have some decades of experience in dealing with this kind of vandalism with tried and tested processes so suggesting that further research is required sounds like an exercise in can kicking. If they can prolong this for a year or so it will cease to be the present regime’s problem so that may shed some light on the reason for the delay.

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