WORK has started to brighten up the borough’s underpasses and bus shelters as part of a community project run by Redditch Council.

Yesterday Artist Andy Mills began work on the mural set to adorn Beoley Road West underpass. It is entitled ‘Gateway to the Lake’ and was designed in collaboration with youngsters from St George’s First School.

Alex Godwin will start work on Hemmings Entry underpass today, Wednesday, October 15. The artist is bringing to life a mural that will take a modern twist on the history of Redditch and which was designed using creative ideas from students of Trinity High School.

This is the next addition to the collection of Redditch Council’s Roadway Arts Project which is run by the Community Safety Team and, recently, in partnership with Choose How You Move (CHYM).

After consultation with residents on what they want to see in their area, nine pieces of artwork have been commissioned and the canvass is the borough’s underpasses and bus shelters.

The project kicked off in 2007 which saw underpasses including those in Ipsley Street and Woodrow and the Redditch gateway mural at the train station benefit from a facelift. The art covers a breadth of topics including local history, sport, nature and the environment.

Roadway Arts is dedicated to encouraging people to leave their cars at home and walk, cycle or use public transport by providing a landscape which is easy on the eye.

Councillor Yvonne Smith, whose portfolio covers community safety said: “As well as brightening up the borough we have seen reductions in graffiti and vandalism where this project has been rolled out.

“Residents can also be proud of where they live and know that they and the local community have been a part of something which makes a difference and looks great.”

The next places to receive an arty lick of paint will be Birmingham Road and Union Street later this year. Passers-by are welcome to watch the artists in action as the paints used, although smelly, are not harmful.

The pieces of art are also coated in a special covering which means graffiti can easily be removed from them without causing damage. People can let the council know what they think about the project by following #roadwayarts on the council’s Twitter feeds or visit redditchbc.gov.uk/roadwayarts for more details.