Community Payback Rids Epping of Eyesore

Published on 25 February 2010

Epping Forest District Council has recently called in the services of Essex Probation Community Payback to rid a wall in Epping of graffiti. The District Council had received complaints from local residents about graffiti on the wall, which runs along the footpath linking Centre Drive to the Underground Station.

After discovering the wall is owned by a local residents’ association, the Council’s Safer Communities Team purchased paint, brushes and rollers and worked with the Essex Probation Team to arrange for the painting over of the full length of the wall. As part of their sentence, offenders are often ordered by the court to carry out hours of work to pay back the community, as was the case for this wall.

Following this transformation, the local residents’ association has agreed to store any excess tins of paint and one local resident has offered to carry out regular checks on the wall, painting over any new graffiti if required.

Additionally, the residents’ association is also arranging, through the Council’s external contractors, to cover the length of the wall in anti-graffiti paint.

Portfolio Holder for Community Safety Councillor Syd Stavrou said: “This is an excellent example of residents, the District Council and The Essex Probation Service working together to make Epping a much nicer place to visit, live and work.”

Pete Mangan, a director of Essex Probation Service said: “We are delighted to have been able to assist. This shows Community Payback at its best, working for the local community to improve the area. Offenders ordered by the court to do this kind of work often feel they have a stake in creating more pleasant surroundings for people, a real positive in their rehabilitation. We manage nearly two million pounds worth of Community Payback for Essex every year. It’s a win for everybody.”

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