Colourful murals could be commissioned to spruce up north Shropshire town
Art murals could come to a north Shropshire town to make it more attractive.
Councillor Care Johnson said that the street furniture in Oswestry “is bland, boring, and often in a varying state of decay with paint peeling off”.
“This doesn’t look attractive by itself, never mind on a wide scale across our town, making everything just look a bit scruffy,” she said.
In her motion to Oswestry Town Council (OTC), highlighted that in 2021, Shrewsbury BID commissioned “Shrewsbury Mural Trail” which had local artists paint nature-based murals on BT boxes.
She therefore proposed that OTC approach BT, Shropshire Council and other relevant owners of street furniture and ask for permission to commission murals and artwork to decorate them.
“Once permission has been granted, a report should come back to council with a list and a map of street furniture that may be part of this project and council can then decide on how to approach the commissioning of the artwork,” said Councillor Johnson.
Speaking at a town council meeting on Wednesday (November 5), Councillor Johnson said there are too many phone boxes in the town, which she believes let Oswestry down in the Britain in Bloom Awards this year.
Councillor James Owen said: “I think it’s always a good idea to try and do anything to brighten up in town.”
Councillor Rosie Radford, the Mayor of Oswestry, added: “We’ve already got an amazing set of art outside of this room, and the ones I’ve seen in Shrewsbury look amazing.”
The motion was unanimously approved.
