Work is being carried out across Aberdeen to reduce and remove graffiti.
Councillors from the Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee yesterday (Wednesday 26 August) heard about the demand being placed on the Environmental Services team to identify and remove graffiti from Council-owned property, parks and highways.
Councillor Miranda Radley, convener of the Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee said: “Graffiti is not just unpleasant to look at, it’s vandalism and can have a big impact on how our communities look and feel for those who live there.
“We know this is an issue that matters to residents, businesses and visitors, and we will continue to work to clear graffiti so that Aberdeen remains an attractive and welcoming place for all.”
Vice-convener Councillor Dell Henrickson said: “I am grateful for the hard work being carried out by our Environmental Services team to tackle graffiti.
“By working with partners through the Community Safety Partnership, we can continue to identify problem areas and respond to reports.”
Graffiti created on property without the owner’s permission is a criminal offence, and can affect the appearance of public spaces, as well as increasing people’s fear of crime.
Between January and the end of July 2026, 121 instances of graffiti were reported and cleared by the Council, 21 of which were marked as offensive.
Although the Council has no statutory obligation to remove graffiti from its properties, parks and highways, it has accepted responsibility for doing so.
Removal methods include washing, chemical washing, and painting, depending on the surface and nature of the graffiti.
It was previously agreed in May 2026 by the Finance and Resources Committee to allocate £650,000 to targeted environmental improvement measures, with £150,000 for a dedicated city centre cleansing team, with one of the team’s duties being to carrying out additional graffiti removal.
Graffiti and other forms of vandalism can be reported online: Graffiti removal
An update report on the work to address graffiti is expected to be brought to committee in summer 2027.