Mural on listed building gets planning consent after council calls it 'high-quality art'

A mural celebrating Cheltenham's horse racing heritage has been allowed to stay despite being painted on the side of a listed building.

Created for the Cheltenham Paint Festival, the artwork was supposedly aimed at preventing graffiti and was created with the support of local businesses.

However, festival organisers did not apply for planning permission or listed building consent for the mural but the council decided to approve the work after calling it a piece of "high-quality art".

Why was the listed building painted?

The mural, honouring the town’s horse racing heritage, was completed in time for the Cheltenham Paint Festival. 

It features a colourful painting of a woman on a horse on the side of The Famous on the Prom shop; a menswear shop. 

Andy Davies, from the festival, mentioned that the building’s owner frequently had to clean off graffiti and says the Cheltenham Business Improvement District suggested the wall be painted to stop the graffiti.

“We put the application in and Margot, a French artist, is working on it currently", he said.

“She’s trying to incorporate the horses, we have a rich history of horse racing in Cheltenham so she has incorporated that into the design.”

'This shows a lack of respect for the planning process'

The town’s Civic Society has expressed concern over the mural, stating it shows a lack of respect for the planning process and could pressure the Borough Council.

A spokesperson for Cheltenham Civic Society said: “This shows a lack of respect for the planning process and could put Cheltenham Borough Council in a difficult position and bring undue pressure on the planning committee.

“The Civic Society has already submitted an objection to the mural because of its application to a Grade II listed building in the Central Conservation Area.

“In other locations and on unlisted buildings, the Society has a record of supporting creative, well-executed street art.

“But we do not think that the use of street art is a lasting, effective solution to the criminal plague of graffiti tagging across the town centre – which we believe should be dealt with by a law enforcement approach."

Council approves application calling it 'high-quality art'

Cheltenham Borough Council decided to approve listed building consent for the mural calling it a "high-quality art installation".

Mr Davies submitted a retrospective planning application in which he claimed: "When Banksy painted in Cheltenham on a listed building it was given retrospective planning permission.

“When some person came and did a stencil on the Chelsea Brasserie in Montpellier of Suella Braverman that was given retrospective planning permission.

“If the council are going to give planning permission retrospectively to things like that, for what is a beautiful piece of art which will do nothing but enhance the area, we feel we have a good case."

He says the council can choose to either have "a graffiti-tagged wall which looks awful or have something beautiful which will hopefully last for a long time" and if the application is rejected they will be forced to "paint it back to white.”

Cllr Rowena Hay, Leader at Cheltenham Borough Council, said the application received 45 comments supporting the application and claimed the approval shows the council's support for the paint festival.

She said: "The approval of this application demonstrates that the Council is supportive of high-quality art installations, but that good care needs to be taken on sensitive buildings of heritage value.

 “Public art can connect us to places, buildings, and our communities.  What is clear from the social media response to this particular piece is that the paint festival has done just that at this location on The Promenade and across the town.”