The sum of money allocated in the recent council emergency budget to remove graffiti from private properties is something Labour welcomes, having been calling for action on graffiti for some time.

How that will work in practice is another issue and we look forward to hearing further detail on how the council will work with private property owners to ensure that this funding makes a difference.

What that money won’t do it address the issue of longer response times by the former Lib Dem/ Conservative council in removing graffiti in public areas. Over the past four years of Lib Dem responsibility for graffiti removal, response times for offensive graffiti removal increased from just over 24 hours under Labour to over five days. For non-offensive graffiti removal, response times went from two days under Labour to almost six days under the Lib Dems.

We welcome any actions and investment that will begin to tackle this blight on our beautiful city, but current proposals do not go nearly far enough, highlighting a lack of political will that appears to have run seamlessly from one council Coalition into another – Liberal Democrats being the one constant.

Cllr Kallum Taylor,

Labour environment lead,

Bromley Street,York