A longstanding problem with graffiti on a prominent Monkgate gable could be transformed into a celebration of the area’s history under plans submitted to City of York Council.
The proposal is for a community mural on the rendered lower gable of 54 Monkgate, at the entrance to Agar Street. The project began when a local resident approached York Civic Trust for advice after repeated attempts to tackle graffiti tagging by repainting the wall had failed. Photographic evidence shows graffiti recurring over many years, despite the wall being repainted on several occasions.
Rather than simply repainting it once again, the Trust suggested exploring whether a high-quality mural could provide a more lasting response – and at the same time create something rooted in the history and identity of Monkgate.
What followed has been a genuinely collaborative local project. York Civic Trust has worked alongside York BID, Ward Councillors, local residents and traders, and expertise from York St John University to research the area, explore ideas and develop the proposal.
The resulting design draws inspiration from two particularly evocative pieces of Monkgate’s past. The Grey Coat School for Girls, founded in 1705 and relocated to Monkgate in 1784, provided education and training for orphaned girls. In the early twentieth century, meanwhile, the Monkgate & Jersey Dairy Company operated at 48–52 Monkgate, immediately beside Agar Street.
There is, however, an added challenge: 54 Monkgate forms part of a Grade II listed terrace dating from around 1840. The mural would therefore be painted onto a listed building, albeit confined to the later cement-rendered lower section of a secondary gable rather than its historic brickwork or principal frontage.
Research undertaken for the application has found no known example in England of a mural on a listed building being granted consent proactively before painting began. A recent scheme in Scarborough received Listed Building Consent in August, but was partly retrospective. The Monkgate application therefore provides an opportunity to explore whether carefully designed contemporary public art and the conservation of historic buildings can successfully work together.
The application is now live, and we would particularly welcome local residents and others interested in the project taking a look at the proposals and submitting their comments to City of York Council through its planning portal.