'Ugly' wall could get floral mural

A "concept image" of what the mural could look like on the wall of the Market Thoroughfare

A town centre wall that has been described as "dirty, ugly and wholly unattractive" could be repainted with a floral mural.

The wall runs along an alleyway in Bury St Edmunds town centre connecting the Cornhill market square with the Arc shopping centre.

Mark Cordell, from the Our Bury St Edmunds business group, has lodged plans with West Suffolk Council for the project and said the town was behind the curve in embracing street art.

The council is due to make a decision on whether the wall can be repainted on 4 December.

The current wall was described as "wholly unattractive"

The Market Thoroughfare passageway was widened as part of the council's project to create two retail units at the former Post Office site, along with several apartments above them, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"This application, if granted, will hugely enhance the current blank and, to be honest, dirty, ugly and wholly unattractive cream-coloured wall," said Mr Cordell, from the business improvement district (BID) organisation.

The project, which would be delivered alongside community project Bury In Bloom, would bring a large, mural meant to represent the floral heritage of the town, with the aim being for it to become a "focal point" for residents and visitors.

"Bury has a reputation as a fabulous floral market town, having won numerous Anglia and Britain in Bloom accolades over recent years," said Mr Cordell.

"We also felt that high-quality street art, which is in place in so many towns and cities across the UK, could have such a positive impact on our town centre, so why not look to create a floral mural?"

If approved, work would start in spring next year, when weather conditions would be more favourable to painting, and it was expected it would take up to five days to complete.