Bid to keep tomato themed mural on listed former pub dating back to 1730s

The mural, depicting tomatoes on a vine, was painted on the former Kings Arms pub, a Grade II-listed building on Great Horton Road, when the building was recently converted into a restaurant. But the work was done without the required listed building consent, and now a retrospective plan to retain the mural has been submitted by an M Shabir.

The application says the mural will have “no effect on the listed building,” but council conservation officers have described the painting as “unpleasant and contradictory.” The building was constructed as a house in the 1730s, but was later converted into the Kings Arms pub.

In 2021 Bradford Council granted planning permission for the then empty building to be converted into a restaurant.

But some of the changes that have since been made to the building, including new signage and the tomato mural, were unauthorised, and led to the Council launching an enforcement investigation.

Two new applications have now been submitted to the council – a planning application to reduce the size of an existing illuminated sign on the building and keep the graphic illustrations, and a listed building consent application to retain the graphics.

The applications say: “The proposals will retain the graphic illustrations and reduce the sizing of the current fascia signs to create a more refined look in respect to the context and aesthetic of the listed building. It is proposed to retain the graphic tomato and vines which are painted direct onto the render. The paint is regarded as temporary and has no effect of the fabric of the listed building.”

In response to the plans, conservation officer Komal Patil said: “The building has gone through several alterations and developments in the past, which has significantly impacted the appearance of the building and its impact on the conservation area.

“The proposal calls to retain the existing illustrations and drawings on the front façade of the building, which is not acceptable in its principle. The illustrations present on the front façade of the building seem to be unpleasant and contradictory. This impacts the aesthetics and appearance, including the front elevation of the building to the designation of the listed building and the conservation area accordingly.”

A decision on the application is expected in the New Year.