GARAGE doors on a Cricklade estate could become works of graffiti art if a project organised by housing association GreenSquare goes ahead.

A mural designed and created by youngsters working with experienced artists is planned for Parsonage Farm Close as part of a scheme to provide more activities in the town, which has suffered spates of anti-social behaviour and vandalism in recent months.

Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Area Board members are due to consider a bid for £3,000 funding at next Wednesday’s meeting.

In its application, the firm said: “Since the changes in youth provision there has been a lack of activities and opportunities for young people to participate in.

“This project would provide a weekend activity for local young people. It will also increase their skills.”

GreenSquare recently organised a skate session with teachers for youngsters in the area and mentioned the proposal to them.

The firm said: “We informally consulted young people to gauge interest in an art project and collated names and addresses of around 20 young people who were interested in taking part.”

The project, held over a couple of evening sessions and a weekend, will be free and local youth groups will be invited to join in.

GreenSquare said it was asking for help funding the scheme because it only had a small budget for community projects. It added that local youth groups would also be encouraged to go along to promote their activities.

In the wake of the disbanding of Wiltshire Council’s youth service two years ago and cuts to its youth provision, there have been multiple reports of anti-social behaviour in Cricklade as groups of children gather with nothing to do.

Last summer AFC Cricklade was targeted by vandals who lit fires in the dugouts, hurled broken bottles on the pitch and stole brackets from the goalposts that prevented them from being used.

And in January Cricklade Leisure Centre won a £5,000 grant to install a new CCTV system to help deter antisocial behaviour and discourage groups of teens that staff felt were putting people off using the facility.

Last year the area board also decided to fund a street youth worker project for six weeks in a bid to divert youths from getting up to no good.

And in December Wiltshire Police issued a dispersal order after being called out repeatedly to incidents in the area surrounding the leisure centre, Bath Road and Heberden House.

Residents, including those living in sheltered housing, had complained of noise and anti-social behaviour from groups of youngsters.

The community youth grant will be discussed at the meeting in Clyffe Pypard and Bushton village hall at 7pm on Wednesday.