Tory councillor says Enfield Town Library mural needs planning permission and is a waste of money when libraries are being closed, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Enfield Town Library mural with (inset) Chris Dey

A Conservative councillor has sparked a battle with Labour-run Enfield Council over a new mural.

Grange Park councillor Chris Dey launched a petition to have the colourful mural on the western wall of Enfield Town Library removed, and it now has more than 400 signatures.

The mural, unveiled in June, was created by artist Albert Agwa and is titled To Autumn, inspired by Keats’ poem of the same name and, according to the council, celebrates Enfield’s “diverse culture and heritage”.

However, in response to the mural, Cllr Dey launched a campaign calling the artwork an “eyesore”. He said: “I fully accept there’s people that like it but lots of people contacted me to say they didn’t like it, that they thought it was ghastly and I personally agree.”

The councillor also accused the civic centre of “oversight and misjudgement” when it came to approving the mural, adding the process hadn’t gone through the usual “rigorous scrutiny” expected for building modifications within conservation areas.

The Tory councillor said: “If a resident opposite, living in the conservation area, wanted to paint their house multi-coloured they would have to get planning permission. But that was not sought or granted in this instance.

“The council just did it anyway, but have now agreed, under pressure from councillors, to retrospectively go back and apply for planning permission.”

An application has yet to be submitted, however, and a spokesperson did not confirm whether the council was still planning to submit one. Instead, they said the council consulted its property and library teams and held consultations to “hear residents’ views”.

Cllr Dey also criticised the council for spending money to paint the library wall while closing seven branches around the borough to save on running costs and generate millions in property sales.

In response to Cllr Dey’s petition, a second petition was recently started by resident Ben Conway in support of the mural. Ben describes the Tory councillor’s campaign “absolute insanity” and said the mural looked “fantastic”.

A council spokesperson said: “The new mural at Enfield Town Library, created by local artist Albert Agwa, is part of the Enfield Town Liveable Neighbourhood project. The project’s goal is to make the town centre safer, greener and more vibrant, while celebrating our borough’s diverse culture and heritage.

“Inspired by John Keats’ famous poem To Autumn, the artwork draws on Enfield Town’s literary history and its connection to nature. It was shaped with ideas from residents and made with pupils from St Anne’s School, alongside an emerging artist mentored by Albert Agwa.

“The mural was funded through the community infrastructure levy – money paid by developers that is ringfenced for community and public space improvements and cannot be spent on other council services. The budget covers artist fees, materials, installation, community workshops, training for an emerging local artist, and ongoing maintenance.

“Before starting the work, we consulted our property and library teams for permission and held public events to hear residents’ views. The design was chosen to be sensitive to local heritage and to reflect themes that matter to the community.

“Enfield Council is committed to creating public spaces and artworks that everyone can enjoy. Projects like this also give emerging creatives and artists a valuable career boost. The creative industry is the fastest-growing sector in the UK, providing one in six jobs in London. We’re proud to play a part in supporting local jobs and skills.”

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