Plans to extend a prominent outdoor mural on a Grade-II listed building in Scarborough town centre have been approved by councillors.
A large mural on a Grade-II listed building in Scarborough town centre will be extended as part of council efforts to boost civic pride and enhance the local environment.
However, concerns about the scheme were raised by local residents who questioned the artistic quality of the design.
The existing mural at 3, West Square, Scarborough, faces Westborough and will be extended towards the gable-end elevation.
Speaking at a council meeting last week, a local resident objected to the plans as she said the design lacked “sufficient artistic quality, creativity and visual impact when compared with other large-scale public artworks elsewhere in the region”.
They added that the mural made “poor use of the available wall space” and that it occupied “only part of the elevation and that sections of the artwork are obscured by existing street furniture”.
“The entire project should be reconsidered and opened to tender for alternative artistic proposals,” she told the planning committee meeting, adding: “Public art should benefit both residents and visitors, foster civic pride and contribute positively to the appearance of a prominent gateway location opposite the Railway Station.”
Members of the Scarborough and Whitby Area Planning Committee debated the artistic merits of the mural, with several members stating that it would be “a positive addition that enhanced the appearance of West Square”.
However, council planners reminded councillors that the application, submitted by North Yorkshire Council, was for listed building consent and they had not been tasked with making a judgement on the design.
An officer said:
“The committee is not acting as an arbiter of artistic merit, and wider concerns regarding the process through which the mural was originally commissioned are beyond the remit of the committee.”
The existing mural is eight metres wide and 11m high, while the extension will be 6.5 metres wide and around four metres high.
North Yorkshire Council said the aim of the proposed works is to enhance the town centre public realm by fostering a “stronger sense of civic pride”.
Councillors voted to approve the application with five votes in favour and one against.
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