Dear West Hill Community Association

I’m not sure where to turn so apologies if I am writing to the wrong group. I read The Whistler regularly and you feel like the best community group around.

I live in Montpelier Crescent and have noticed a huge increase in dog fouling recently. It isn’t just one dog (quite obvious from the fouling) and it’s getting worse. Is there anything which we, as a community, could do to try and stop this?  There are plenty of local resident groups getting together to tackle the mess: see this example at bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-43334730 which describes how fed-up residents have come up with a poo-shaming map in a bid to tackle dog fouling.

Katherine Church

[Last year The Whistler ran an article on an anti-dog fouling campaign launched by Tracy Phipps of the Council’s Cityclean and Cityparks dept which promised to tackle  irresponsible dog owners. At the time of going to press, we are still waiting for her to comment on Katherine’s question but local Regency Councillor, Alex Phillips, did respond to our enquiry.]

Hi – Tom and I are working with Cityclean to try and get more signs up in the area but this is a perennial problem. It feels to me as though it has got worse too, and I don’t know if it is because people might be on their mobile phones more and so not really watching what their dogs are doing. As a mother and pram-user, I find it an even more appalling situation as wheels on buggies easily drive through muck.

Councillor Alex Phillips

[On the subject of anti-social behaviour we’ve also heard from resident Mo Parker and Councillor Lizzie Deane]

HELP US RECLAIM OUR STREETS

The residents of Terminus Road, and the cul-de-sacs leading off it – Terminus Street, Railway Street and Terminus Place – have an ongoing  battle with anti-social behaviour such as general nuisance, drug dealing/taking, drinking, graffiti/tagging, discarded rubbish, dog fouling and, in the worst cases, human fouling.  With the warm weather this activity increases considerably. Clifton Street Passage, with its easy access and multiple exits, affords secure cover for these activities.

Many of the rear garden walls backing onto the passage are either in poor decorative order or disfigured with graffiti and tagging. This general air of neglect feeds into the misconception that anti-social behaviour is acceptable. Terminus  Area residents, in conjunction with various Council bodies and the police, are working together to overcome this and reclaim the streets for the residents as well as for those passing through it, which includes quite a few young children going to and from primary school.

The plan is to paint over the graffiti and the Council has offered to provide paint and rollers.  If your rear wall is one of those with graffiti and you do not want this painted over, please email Councillor Lizzie Deane on  Lizzie.Deane@brighton-hove.gov.uk. On the other hand, if you would like to clean and repaint your wall and so help to restore the area, Terminus Area residents will be delighted! The state of Clifton Street Passage and any associated anti-social behaviour impacts residents and their homes on both sides.

Mo Parker

Dear Editor

I have also had complaints about graffiti on the wall along Howard Place and, again, the Council has said that they will supply materials for a clean-up and I will be looking for volunteers to help. If any readers want to help clear up both Clifton Street Passage and Howard Place, please contact me on Lizzie.Deane@brighton-hove.gov.uk.

With thanks

Lizzie Deane