The Brentwood Tenant Participation Scheme has taken advantage of the paint on offer at Community RePaint Thurrock, to revitalise the buildings and communal spaces in the local area and restore local pride.
Over the last ten years Brentwood Council has been encouraging leaseholders and those living in council housing to become involved in the development and improvement of their area. Graffiti was a particular problem, especially around garage areas, and with the Council’s maintenance budget struggling to keep up with its removal, paint from Community RePaint Thurrock was incredibly valuable.
Not only has it enabled tenants to cover over the graffiti, but the new lick of paint has also commanded a new respect for the buildings with little or no new graffiti appearing. Similarly, the redecoration of the communal entrances and stairwells in several housing blocks in the Woodland area has encouraged people to keep these spaces cleaner and tidier which, in turn has made it a more pleasant place for everyone to live.
As Cllr Jan Pound, Vice Chair of the Environment, Housing & Community Panel at Brentwood Borough Council explained, “By using paint from Community RePaint, we have been able to help the tenants reclaim their communal spaces and brighten up the area. No one wants to live surrounded by graffiti and vandalism, and schemes like this are vital to help with our resources and to give a real boost to all the community.”
Paint from Community RePaint Thurrock has also been taken by Brentwood Council for use by the Community Payback programme and young offenders groups.