Legal graffiti walls to be trialled in Glasgow to 'revitalise' the city

Glasgow council has confirmed legal graffiti walls will be trialled in the city.

The council hopes six-month long trial will provide a legal outlet for street artists and encourage residents, businesses and organisations to explore developing similar walls in other areas.

A new report to the council’s Environment and Liveable Neighbourhoods City Policy Committee confirmed two council-owned properties in the city centre will be used.

The decision comes after the success of the council’s city centre mural trail.

Officials hope that this managed approach to street art will help revitalise the city and create visually appealing areas for residents and visitors.

Councillor Ruairi Kelly, city convener for Neighbourhood Services and Assets, believes the introduction of legal graffiti walls has the potential to support local artists while creating a more positive city environment.

Councillor Kelly said: “Glasgow has a well-established reputation for street art and it’s a culture that frequently adds colour and vibrancy to our public spaces.

“Graffiti art versus vandalism is a subjective debate but it remains the case that offensive, bigoted graffiti will not be tolerated. We will be monitoring closely the impact of the pilot, including how this influences the number of complaints we receive in relation to graffiti.

“But with the pilot we are hoping to tap into the creativity of street artists in a way that enhances and improves our city’s environment. If the pilot is successful, it could see street artists making an important contribution to communities throughout the city.”

The unconfirmed group at the helm of the project will develop its own terms of reference, and guide how the pilot programme operates in practice.

Two community organisations have already approached the council about the possibility of being involved in the two trial walls.

During the pilot, the lead organisation will be responsible for maintaining the space they have been allocated and will make decisions in relation to the art on display.

The organisations involved will also be responsible for reporting illegal graffiti around the city.

The council’s graffiti removal service will continue to target the removal of sectarian, homophobic, offensive, racist and explicit graffiti.