Concerns have been raised over a “beautiful” mural that has been painted on the side of a listed building in Cheltenham town centre without planning permission.
A colourful painting depicting a woman on a horse has been painted on the County Court Road side of The Famous on the Prom shop.
This has been done in a bid to stop that wall being tagged by graffiti.
The artwork, which is a nod to the town’s horse racing heritage, has been done in time for Cheltenham Paint Festival this weekend.
But a planning application for the mural has yet to be decided by Cheltenham Borough Council.
This has caused concern among the town’s Civic Society who say it shows a lack of respect for the planning process and could put councillors in a difficult position.
The Borough Council is one of the sponsors of the acclaimed annual street art festival that takes place every July in the spa town.
Andy Davies, of Cheltenham Paint Festival, said the building’s owner has constantly had to clean off graffiti from the wall.
He said the Cheltenham Business Improvement District recommended he speak to us about getting a mural.
“Generally, our murals tend not to get tagged,” he said.
“We put the application in and Margot, a French artist, is working on it currently.
“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.”
Mr Davies said they have not yet heard from the council regarding the planning application. “It’s a bold move, I’m very aware of that,” he said.
“At the end of the day, it’s difficult to paint. 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.
“Whatever you think of her, around the corner was a cartoon character with a hammer. In a way advocating violence to women and that was given 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 said the businesses in the area were asking him to do it. “Once it is there it will add to the town rather than detract.
“We will either have a graffiti tagged wall which looks awful or have something beautiful which will hopefully last for a long time.
“If the planning permission isn’t approved we will paint it back to white.”
A spokesperson for Cheltenham Civic Society said they were dismayed that the premature painting of this mural has gone ahead without listed building consent.
“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.
Chris Gomm, head of development, management, enforcement and compliance said the authority is currently processing a retrospective application which is seeking listed building consent for the painting of a mural on the north elevation of 22-26 Promenade.
“The application is at an early stage; it was registered on July 2 and is currently at the consultation stage.
“Anyone wishing to submit their comments may do so through our planning portal. Once the statutory consultation period has expired, we will review the proposal together with any comments received and reach a final decision.
‘’The Borough Council continues to support the paint festival and over the years, has offered them occasional financial support.
“We are aware of how popular and well received the festival is across Cheltenham and continue to work closely with them to ensure that all legal processes are followed in the appropriate way.’’