Council draws fire over graffiti


The director of an engineering firm says he is appalled at Dundee City Council’s failure to remove graffiti from his leased premises.
Colin Johnston, of G. Johnston Engineers in Peddie Street, reported the vandalism a year ago.
He said despite repeatedly calling the council he was getting nowhere, but was constantly being told the matter was “in hand”.

“It took them about six months to say they had the special spraypaint removing equipment.

“I am told the order has been put in — that has been six months now. I just keep getting told the same thing again and again.

“I feel like I’m getting fobbed off. We pay rent to the council and it’s not our responsibility.”

Mr Johnston said he was shocked by a suggestion his staff should remove the graffiti themselves.

He believes the vandalism happened because security gates at Peddie Street and Annfield Street were regularly left unlocked at night.

The council installed the gates a few years ago after a spate of break-ins.

“I think if the gates weren’t left open this vandalism wouldn’t have happened,” he said.

“We also get fly tipping because of this and drunks lying at the back of our premises, as well as carry-out food.

“The whole thing is that degeneration is happening in this area, and the council does not seem interested in doing anything about it.

“For all the rent we pay to them, we always have a job getting things out of them.”

Owing to the rent Mr Johnston pays to lease the unit, he feels the council should do a better job in the upkeep of the exterior of the building.

He said prospective tenants of the Peddie Street industrial area could be put off, and added that the graffiti-covered wall did not give customers a good impression of the company.

“The graffiti is making a whole statement about the area,” he said.

“I’m not surprised about the council’s reaction, because it’s always been the same.

“We’ve been here for 18 years and every three months we get a final demand letter through the door — it doesn’t impress me much at all.

“We pay our rent on time, all the time, and when we get that through the door and try to get something back from the council it ends up riling you. It’s really not fair.”

A spokesman for Dundee City Council said today Mr Johnston’s concerns would be passed on to the appropriate department.