Aldi to display Milton Keynes mural in original form

Bicycle Wall was created by John Watson in 1978 with the help of local pupils

A mural created by school children is to be displayed vertically in a new Aldi supermarket following concerns it was to be destroyed.

Bicycle Wall in Stantonbury, Milton Keynes, was created in 1978 and features 1,200 tiles.

Milton Keynes Council allowed Aldi to demolish the derelict retail centre that features the mural, but said space must be found for the artwork.

The supermarket said it "can continue to be enjoyed by local residents".

The mural was created by John Watson with the help of pupils from the former Stantonbury School, now Stantonbury International School.

The artwork consists of 1,200 tiles

Aldi previously proposed it could be laid flat as placing it upright in a new location could cost £150,000.

As reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, another plan was to cut the mural into blocks and display it across the school site.

Both plans were opposed locally.

An Aldi spokesman said a proposal to relocate the mural within the supermarket site and re-erect it vertically had been made.

"We are awaiting feedback from some of the stakeholders before we make a formal submission to MK Council," he said.

Ian Michie, chairman of the Public Arts Trust, Milton Keynes, said: "It is a breakthrough and good news for the citizens of Milton Keynes because Aldi has now accepted the principles of keeping the wall in one piece, in an upright position, and that they will pay for it.

"We still have our concerns over how the wall will be moved into its new position, and the potential for damage to occur, but this gives us hope that a very satisfactory conclusion will be arrived at."