Campaigners in hot water over rail link mural
A MURAL put up to highlight the need to re-open Portishead's rail link has landed campaigners in hot water – after the council said it was put up without permission.
The 40ft mural was erected on land at Harbour Road earmarked for a new station when the rail line re-opens.
The mural, costing in the region of £6,000, has been jointly funded by the Portishead Railway Group (PRG), Pure Offices and dock developers Crest Nicholson – who own the site – and Persimmon.
The design tells the 'railway story' of the North Somerset town, from 1867 and into the future with trains using the line again. It shows the history of the line and plans for its future and also features artwork depicting the arrival of the Broad Gauge line in the town.
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The mural – designed by local artist Aili Purdy – also embodies images from the past, present and future of Portishead and the surrounding area.
Included are the first train to Portishead in 1867, the High Street in 1890, a 1909 horse carriage, a diesel railcar from 1954, the modern marina, and a future train and station. The group say they checked with council planning officers on a number of occasions ahead of erecting the mural and were told, as it was a piece of art, planning permission was not needed.
Other artwork installed across the new developments in the town over the last seven years has been installed without planning permission.
The mural was officially unveiled by North Somerset MP Dr Liam Fox and other local dignitaries at a special ceremony in April.
North Somerset Council said it has now asked the group to apply for planning permission to ensure the mural can stay.
Portishead Railway Group chairman Alan Matthews said as far as he was aware, the authority had not requested the group submit a planning application.
Mr Matthews said: "We checked with planning officers before the mural was put up and were told on two occasions that as effectively it was a piece of art, no planning permission was needed.
"Other artworks have been put up around the town without planning permission over the last few years.
"We also queried the matter with a local councillor who also said that as it was a piece of art, we did not require planning permission."
It is understood the mural will remain in place until the new station is built when the railway line re-opens.
The site is earmarked for a station in the North Somerset Local Plan.
Portishead councillor Arthur Terry was chairman of the town council at the time the mural was installed.
Mr Terry said: "When I met the group I questioned whether they needed planning permission for the mural.
"They assured me that had spoken to a senior North Somerset planning officer who advised them it was ok to put it up without planning permission.
"There seems to have been some confusion with this and I hope the matter can be resolved."
A North Somerset Council spokesman said: "We are aware of this issue and we have asked the group to submit a planning application for the mural. "
Comments
by Alt_Voice
Friday, June 22 2012, 10:29PM
“"It seems like the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing total incompetence as usual and an utter waste of money!"
Harbour Road yellow lines another recent example.
New housing developments with parking densities of less than two cars per property another example.”
by lolwtf
Friday, June 22 2012, 9:12PM
“How can you agree with NSC when they said no planning was needed and now insist it is It seems like the right hand dose not know what the left hand is doing total incompetence as usual and an utter wast of money!”
by 3_2_1
Friday, June 22 2012, 8:58PM
“Well, if it's all part of the masterplan then I'm going to build a huge great extension in my back garden and call it "art". Okay with that counsellor?
I agree with NSC on this occasion. It needs to be done properly, and it needs permission. You may like it, I don't. I think it's an eyesore. I might even fancy lodging a complaint.”
by lolwtf
Friday, June 22 2012, 7:30PM
“Here we go again why is so much written on here about our useless council it's about time they knew what they were doing”
by J12345678
Thursday, June 21 2012, 11:06PM
“Obviously not approved by Worst Great Western”
by MyViewIs
Thursday, June 21 2012, 7:31PM
“Perhaps the time and effort put into seeking planning permission for something which no-one in their right mind would contest could be spent on maintaining our open space and filling in some potholes? If the planning department have so much time to spare maybe they should pop down to their depot and pick up a spade or hedge trimmer? The recent cost cutting doesn't seem to have concentrated on what is important to our community but more on saving their own jobs. Get a grip please, let's focus on the important things not the trivial.”
by Totalsense1
Thursday, June 21 2012, 1:47PM
“Sack the councillors involved for total incompetence, sick to death of paying for these people to waste our public money and bungle through each day!”
by Tiny_Steve
Thursday, June 21 2012, 12:51PM
“Great to see Portishead councillors getting a grip on the really serious issues faced by their constituents.”
by PortisheadAH1
Thursday, June 21 2012, 12:27PM
“Town and district Councillor Arthur Terry's knowledge of planning procedure seems to have left him for his quote in this report but it did not stop him getting in on the crucial publicity photos at the time in his Chairman's chain of office. Perhaps the developers Persimmon and Crest have become too used to having planning permission resolved for them by the local authority by way of conditions within Master Plan policies and Section 106 Agreements (like the gates current preventing access to the coastal sea wharf at the western end).
Personally I feel close up the mural's content is clever, especially the skateboarder. But from a distance the impact is lost and the design looks as though the rain has washed the paint away. I much prefer the winning painting by Bryan Evans which on a larger scale would have looked great on this spot. As for the railway, the line on this land is no longer there although it can be seen across Newfoundland Way. I still think a Portbury Railway Station is feasible, but a Portishead Railway Station on this spot is sadly highly unlikely.”
by katachua
Thursday, June 21 2012, 10:10AM
“Councillors embarassed by their lack of enthusiasm for the rail link?
Mind you, they're quite right - it might attract young people to Portishead, and we can't be doing with that!”