A Labour-run council has sparked fury among residents after splashing £18,000 of public money on a controversial mural – without securing planning permission.
Enfield Council, in north London, commissioned the brightly coloured To Autumn artwork on the side of Enfield Town Library, claiming it celebrates local literary history and nature.
But the piece – inspired by John Keats's famous poem of the same name – has been slammed by locals as a 'hideous' blot on the landscape, with critics branding it a waste of taxpayers' money at a time when the council is closing down seven libraries across the borough to save cash.
The mural, by artist Albert Agwa, now faces an uncertain future after it emerged that planning permission should have been sought beforehand due to the library being located in a conservation area. The council has since submitted a retrospective application.
Chris Dey, a Conservative councillor in Enfield, has launched a petition to have the mural removed.
