Town library mural to stay despite objections

The mural was co-designed by artist Albert Agwa and students from St Anne's School

A mural on the side of Enfield Town Library branded by some as a "ghastly eyesore" will remain in place after the council granted retrospective planning permission.

More than 600 residents signed a petition calling for the artwork to be removed after it was unveiled in June.

It later emerged that Enfield Council had not sought planning approval, even though the library was in a conservation area.

Council place shaping manager Clare Moloney apologised for the "error" and said a decommissioning plan would be submitted if necessary.

The mural, titled To Autumn and inspired by the John Keats poem, was co-designed by artist Albert Agwa and students from St Anne's School.

The commission had a total budget of £18,000 - with £15,000 put aside for delivery and £3,000 for community engagement and design workshops.

Three representations were made at a planning committee meeting on 18 November, including Conservative councillors Edward Smith and Emma Supple, who raised concerns about the mural's appearance and upkeep.

Mr Smith said: "What is it going to look like in 12 months or two years after a couple of winters?

"The concern is that the mural itself will deteriorate very substantially."

He claimed many residents feared "it will be worse than it is now".

Mrs Supple said her inbox was "full of objections" and pointed to the 600 petition responses, which was launched by fellow Conservative councillor Chris Dey.

A maintenance budget has been allocated for the next five years, although the amount was not disclosed.

Ms Moloney reassured the committee that the mural was funded through the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which is money raised from developers - not taxpayers.

Conservative member Michael Rye noted that residents in the conservation area face a "long process" for changes such as installing double glazing, while the mural had bypassed normal procedures.

The council's principal heritage advisor, Nick Page, said: "From a heritage point of view, this isn't a location I would have chosen to put public art."

However, he added that public benefits such as its "contribution to culture" and "vibrancy and character" outweighed the harms identified.

Following discussion, the committee's seven Labour members voted in favour of the application, while the three Conservative members voted against.